Social Insurance for Doctoral Students of Doctoral Schools

The reform of the doctoral student education system, resulting in a departure from conducting third degree studies in favour of doctoral schools, resulted in changes in the field of social security law. The status of a doctoral student receiving a doctoral scholarship has become independent grounds for compulsory retirement, disability and accident insurance. At the same time, it is the basis for voluntary sickness insurance. The author criticises the granting of doctoral students the right to acquire cover under this type of insurance. Their actual situation when receiving a doctoral scholarship is far different from the situation of other persons (grounds) covered by sickness insurance. The author also discusses the issue of coincidences of grounds for social insurance of doctoral students. The legislator categorised the collection of a doctoral scholarship in the group of absolute grounds for insurance. Unfortunately, it omitted in the regulation of Art. 9 sec. 1a of the Act on Social Insurance System a reference to the basis of the contributions on the received scholarship, which in extreme cases may lead to a significant extension of the doctoral student’s social insurance obligation.