ZUS has more medical assessors – good news for employers
Over the past six months, ZUS’s medical staff has increased by nearly 19 per cent (from 651 to 774 persons). This marks a reversal of a long-standing downward trend that was the result of the reform of the medical assessment system.
Changes to the Act on Cash Benefits from Social Insurance in the Event of Illness and Maternity have been in force since 13 April 2026. These changes have permitted physiotherapists (medical rehabilitation) and nurses (inability to live independently) to assess medically, has eased eligibility requirements for medical assessors, and enabled collaboration on the basis of civil law contracts, not just employment contracts.
As at 15 October 2026, 161 persons were working with ZUS under service provision contracts: 65 doctors, 33 physiotherapy specialists, and 63 nursing specialists. This shows that this flexible form of collaboration is popular for all three professional groups.
For employers, this represents an actual opportunity to issue rulings and decisions on employment matters more quickly, and reduced the risk of backlogs, which have previously had had hampered the processing of HR matters relating to incapacity for work and ZUS benefits.