PNV calls for Government Action on ”Arbitrary” Illness Benefit for Children
The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) is set to question the Spanish government regarding what it calls “arbitrary” application of the benefit for minors with serious illness (CUME). PNV Deputy Idoia Sagastizabal will raise the issue during Wednesday’s control session in Congress, directing her concerns to Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations Minister Elma Saiz.
Sagastizabal will press the Minister on steps the government will take to ensure the CUME aid is granted “in an impartial and fair way.” The PNV’s concern stems from a perceived lack of unified criteria and a concrete list of qualifying diseases used by different mutual societies (insurance providers) when assessing applications. The party wants assurance the benefit reaches families in need,and isn’t subject to varying interpretations.Created to support families with children facing serious,prolonged illnesses requiring extensive treatment or hospitalization – and consequently,a parent’s reduced work hours - the CUME has been plagued by inconsistencies.A lack of a clearly defined and universally applied list of recognized pathologies is creating inequalities and leaving some families without crucial support.
Families frequently cite childhood cancers requiring lengthy hospital stays, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy as examples of conditions that should qualify. Severe neurological diseases like refractory epilepsy, encephalopathies, and muscular dystrophies, demanding constant care and specialized medical attention, are also frequently mentioned.
Rare diseases, frequently enough of genetic origin, present another significant challenge, bringing with them serious physical or cognitive limitations and uncertain prognoses. Complex congenital heart disease, necessitating surgical interventions and ongoing monitoring, and severe respiratory illnesses like cystic fibrosis are also considered cases that should automatically qualify for the benefit.
The PNV aligns with patient associations in urging the government to clarify and update the list of recognized diseases for CUME, advocating for the avoidance of “restrictive interpretations” and guaranteeing equitable access.Sagastizabal emphasized that a family’s access to this vital support “cannot depend on the mutual that corresponds to them.”
