Recipients of the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly (CSI) are entitled to Additional Health Benefits, which provide coverage for healthcare expenses such as glasses, lenses, and removable dental prostheses, according to Social Security.
In practice, the Additional Health Benefits are defined as “support to help individuals receiving the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly with their healthcare expenses related to medicines, purchasing glasses, lenses, and removable dental prostheses,” as outlined in a practical guide on the subject.
This support is aimed at “people receiving the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly.”
What support can be received?
According to Social Security, the support available includes:
- For subsidized medications: free access to subsidized medications, provided there is a medical prescription;
- For glasses and lenses: reimbursement of 75% of the amount paid for glasses and lenses, up to a maximum of €100 every two years;
- For removable dental prostheses: reimbursement of 75% of the amount paid for removable dental prostheses, up to a maximum of €250 every three years.
When does the support begin?
According to Social Security, support begins at the:
- Moment when the medical prescription is presented at the pharmacy for subsidized medications;
- Month following the month in which the prescription and receipt are submitted proving the expense for glasses and/or removable dental prostheses at the Health Center, for support related to glasses, lenses, and/or removable dental prostheses.
What is the deadline to submit the prescription and receipt? “For support related to glasses, lenses, and/or removable dental prostheses, documents must be submitted within 6 months of the receipt date, i.e., after the purchase date of the glasses and lenses and/or dental prosthesis,” it states.
The practical guide also explains that the “right to Additional Health Benefits ends when the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly is no longer received.”
It is also noted that “there’s no need to apply because if you’re receiving the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly, you are automatically entitled to the Additional Health Benefits, provided the necessary documents are gathered and submitted.”
Do CSI beneficiaries lose access to ADSE?
It was reported this week that some CSI beneficiaries are losing access to ADSE, as dependents, due to the increase in the support amount, which is now considered as part of household income, surpassing the eligibility requirement for the public service health subsystem.
According to reports, dependents of public service workers become ineligible when the combined pension and CSI exceed 60% of the national minimum wage, a criterion set by the 1983 decree-law regulating the health subsystem.
