• Sweden edition

Minister sounded alarm on sick pay rules

Published: 30 Jun 11 07:53 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/34648/20110630/

Former Social Security Minister Cristina Husmark Pehrsson foresaw problems with the new sick pay rules and her ministry raised the alarm, only to be knocked back in negotiations, according to a memo which emerged on Thursday.

The government knew of problems with the new health insurance system - even before the decision to reform the system was taken, according to a secret memorandum drawn up by the Ministry of Social Affairs in December 2009, according to a report in the Göteborgs-Posten (GP) daily.

In the memo, witnessed by the newspaper, Husmark Pehrsson warned of the consequences of the social insurance policies, including the problem of people being written out of the system.

The ministry raised the alarm over their fears, but was over-ruled in the ensuing negotiations.

Officials who took part in negotiations for health insurance reform, described them as chaotic.

"The worst and toughest negotiations I have experienced in my entire political life," one official told GP.

Officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs in December 2009 penned a secret memorandum to document what the various ministries and political parties said during the negotiations.

The government's stance on the issue has long been that the law had brought unintended consequences, a line which is now contradicted by the officials' documentation.

On Thursday, the parliamentary Social Security Committee is set to decide on the Red-Green proposals for changes to health insurance. This proposal will then be debated and decided in an extraordinary session of parliament on Friday.

TT/The Local/pvs (news@thelocal.se)

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08:57 June 30, 2011 by Great Scott
As already known, the moderates who claim that they are fully transparent proves to be nothing but lies. Continue to read the news as more lies are unearthed about an incompetent government.
09:49 June 30, 2011 by J. L. Belmar
@Great Scott,

please do not read what the government says. It is usually the opposite. Do not forget that it is a proven fact that Mr. Beagle is a proven Pinocchio and that he has been over and over again since

Sweden got him as Prime Minister. Am I wrong?
11:20 June 30, 2011 by rise
Sick and wounded people aren't even humans but only bricks in a political game. Who cares about the many personal tragedies that are following with the game for as long as the politicians gets their high bonuses etc.
11:30 June 30, 2011 by Great Scott
@J. L. Belmar

You will have to help me out a little this morning, I think I'm having a bad day. But can you explain a little more.

"do not read what the government says". True I don't!

Who is Mr. Beagle?

And what does this mean? "Sweden got him as Prime Minister. Am I wrong?"
15:15 June 30, 2011 by J. L. Belmar
Great Scott. Now we are two to tango. I am also having a bad day, but I'try to explain you somethings: A Beagle is a funny and energetic dog, but I would not have a Beagle as Prime Minister, regardless of how funny and energetic is. I want a prime minister that looks like one, acts like one, talks like one and with a great amount of charisma. Someone who coulld match Cameron, Sarkozy and Merkel, to mention a few and not someone who has to look at his press secretary Roberta Alenius to confront a prime minister like Vladimir Putin. That is what this country deserves; someone with b... and not a little funny Pinocchio disguised as a Beagle. Oops! A Beagle disguised as Swedish Prime Minister.

It is the one Sweden got a Prime Minister, or, am I wrong?

This government is well known for being a colourful factory of lies. The problem is that Swedes do not care about the government lies, as long as they can keep on enjoy all the subsidies once created by the Socialdemocrats. If the subsidies are in their bank accounts, who cares if the government lies?
15:24 June 30, 2011 by Grokh
Fear not the alliance is raising their own salaries ...

so it seems fair right? kick people out of health insurance while raising politicians salary.

because politicians cant survive on 140thousand kr a month.

but people who are sick with 6thousand kr a month can afford to get kicked out and try finding a job while being mentally sick.

whats not to like -_-x
18:14 June 30, 2011 by miss79
@great scott, i am with u
19:06 June 30, 2011 by el dorado
"Officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs in December 2009 penned a secret memorandum to document what the various ministries and political parties said during the negotiations."

Is this memorandum online anywere where we may read it?
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