Permanent sick leave by telephone now possible
Sick leave by telephone is possible again - with immediate effect and permanently. This was decided by the Federal Joint Committee for the Healthcare System. However, patients may only be given sick leave for five days. And, there are conditions that must be met.
Sick leave by telephone is possible again - and can now be used permanently. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) for the healthcare system passed a corresponding regulation in Berlin. However, unlike in the coronavirus era, sick leave by telephone is only possible for up to five days - and not for up to seven days.
The regulation is in force with immediate effect, the Federal Committee announced. The prerequisites are that video consultations are not possible and that patients are already known to the respective GP practice. In addition, patients must not have any severe symptoms.
The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) spoke out against the seven-day rule at the committee meeting. Its representative argued that the possibilities for doctors to assess the illness over the phone were significantly reduced. After all, it is about issuing a document that must have reliable evidential value vis-à-vis the employer.
Doctors' representatives, on the other hand, pleaded for a uniform regulation for tele-sick notes. They pointed out that this was already possible for seven days with the existing video sick note.
Lauterbach happy about relief for doctors
It was already clear before the committee meeting that tele-sick notes would be introduced. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach welcomed this even before the meeting. "This is a significant relief for employees, employers and doctors," he told the Handelsblatt newspaper. "The procedure proved its worth during the pandemic and then unfortunately expired."
Telephone sick notes were introduced during the coronavirus pandemic to relieve the burden on GP practices. However, the scheme initially expired in April. In the summer, the Bundestag then passed a law by Lauterbach that makes sick notes by telephone permanently possible.
In view of the rising number of respiratory infections, the medical profession had called for the rapid reintroduction of telephone sick notes. "Especially in the cold season, it helps to avoid infections and relieve the burden on doctors' surgeries," emphasized the President of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, in the "Rheinische Post". "In the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen that patients and doctors have handled this option very responsibly." There is no reason to assume that this will change now.
The Joint Committee is the central self-governing body in the healthcare system. In addition to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists (KZBV) and the German Hospital Federation (DKG) are also represented on it.
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The permanent regulation allows for sick leave by telephone, but only up to five days, as the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) stipulated, considering that video consultations may not be possible and patients must meet certain conditions. During the coronavirus pandemic, sick leave by telephone was initially limited to seven days, but facing rising respiratory infections, doctors and the medical profession advocated for its permanent reintroduction to prevent infections and relieve the burden on doctors' surgeries.
Despite the Objections from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds at the committee meeting, claiming that the possibilities for doctors to assess the illness over the phone were significantly reduced due to the seven-day rule, the Bundestag passed a law to make sick notes by telephone permanently possible.
Source: www.ntv.de
