OBJECTIVES: Sick-pay is a cash benefit in case of incapacity for work based on insurance entitlement. The aim of our study was to analyse the health insurance sick-pay benefits for employees versus members of individual and corporate enterprises in Hungary between 2001-2016.

METHODS: Data were derived from the financial database of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary and statistical reports of Nr. OSAP 1514, as well as data of Hungarian Central Statistical Office from the years of 2001-2016. We analysed the nationwide sick-pay expenditures National Health Insurance Fund Administration with the following indicators: daily average number of persons on sick-pay and number of sick-pay days.

RESULTS: For employees, the daily average number of persons on sick-pay was 100,582 in 2001 and declined by 38.4 % to 61,971 in 2016. For members of individual and corporate enterprises, the daily average number of persons on sick-pay was 16,031 in 2001 and declined to a greater extent, by 55.6 % to 7,125 in 2016. For employees, the number of sick-pay days was 36,712 in 2001 and declined by 38.2 % to 22,681 in 2016. For members of individual and corporate enterprises, the number of sick-pay days was 5,851 in 2001 and declined again to a greater extent, by 55.6 % to 2,607 in 2016.

CONCLUSIONS: Both the daily average number of persons on sick-pay and the number of sick-pay days declined to a greater extent for employees compared to members of individual and corporate enterprises. We can conclude that individual and corporate private enterprises are more sensitive to sick-pay expenditures than the employees of public agencies.