I have been really trying to figure out how being ill effects my financial state- my income and spending. It is not just curiosity... I guess nobody thinks of being unwell when they are healthy... Within the last month, I have been in the hospital for about 15 days, some of it in the intensive care unit.
And of course all of it depends on what is the matter with you, but it really feels like financially it has been rather positive for me.
In Estonia, you get sickness benefit from the fourth day of your falling ill, and some employers also pay for the first 3 days. The sickness benefit is paid at the rate of 70% of daily income, and this is calculated based on the last 6 months wages. So, yes, of course, you get less money when being ill but you get also paid for the weekends and holidays (which can be is important for those who work shift work for example). Also compared to being healthy or just ill at home - in the hospital you have almost no ability to spend your money. You are given food 3 times a day, you get all the medications you need... You are expected to pay "bed fee" of 2,5 € per day from the second day of being in the hospital and this is not paid for the intensive care unit days. So basically you get 30 % less money but spend just 2,5€ a day. Sounds like a deal doesn't it?
Being ill at home and buying expensive medicines, being unable to cook at home for some reason and needing to order in a lot of food etc can be really expensive. But this hospital stay seems like best saving month ever. To be honest being home from the hospital for a few days I did spend more than usual as I just missed so many foods. Hospital food is filling but there is a limit of how many times I can eat cabbage soup... I guess anyone who has been in Estonian hospital in summer and eaten cabbage soup 1-2 times a day (for 15 days) like me, knows it.
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