Health - Telephone child sickness notification for parents from December 18
Parents will soon be able to obtain medical certificates stating that they need to look after a sick child by telephone and without an extra visit to the doctor's surgery. This will be possible from December 18, according to information from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians(KBV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV).
Maximum of five days
Specifically, according to the GKV, certificates for the receipt of children's sick pay can be issued for a maximum of five days - if the child is known to the doctor and they consider it reasonable to issue them by telephone.
"This will significantly relieve the burden on parents and doctors' surgeries," a GKV spokesperson told the German Press Agency. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had previously asked the KBV and the health insurance funds to make such a regulation. The background to this is the now existing possibility of telephone sick notes for minor illnesses if patients are known in practices. The Joint Federal Committee of doctors, health insurers and hospitals recently decided on a permanent regulation modeled on a special coronavirus regulation.
In a letter to the KBV and the health insurance funds, Lauterbach explained that the telephone sick note should not only relieve patients and practices in cases where insured persons themselves are ill and unable to work - but also when children are ill and parents need a doctor's certificate to claim child sickness benefit. This is "another important contribution to avoiding infections in waiting rooms", according to the letter, which was first reported in the Rheinische Post.
Parents can take time off work for sick children up to the age of twelve. To do so, they have to go to the doctor's office with their child to obtain a certificate. The health insurance fund then covers a large part of the loss of earnings and pays children's sick pay - usually 90 percent of the lost net salary.
Number of children's sick days increased
According to the ministry, a recently passed law regulates an increase in the number of days for which you can apply for children's sick pay. According to special coronavirus regulations, this would actually have been 10 children's sick days per year again from 2024 - the law increases the number to 15 days per child and parent for 2024 and 2025.
In general, since December 7, patients with minor illnesses no longer have to drag themselves into surgeries to get a sick note for their job. The condition is that you are known to the practice and have no severe symptoms. You can then get a certificate of incapacity to work for up to five days. For a follow-up certificate, you have to go to the practice. If the first certificate was issued in the practice, the follow-up certificate can also be issued by telephone. A similar special regulation that was extended several times during the coronavirus crisis expired in spring.
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- Under the new regulation, parents in Germany can obtain medical certificates for their sick children by telephone, beginning December 18, as announced by the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (kbv) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV).
- According to the GKV, these certificates can be issued for a maximum of five days if the child is known to the doctor and it is deemed reasonable to do so over the phone.
- Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had previously requested this change, citing the existing possibility of telephone sick notes for minor illnesses in known patients.
- The new regulation aims to relieve both patients and doctors' surgeries, and was influenced by a special coronavirus regulation adopted by the Joint Federal Committee of doctors, health insurers, and hospitals.
- Lauterbach emphasized that the telephone sick note would not only benefit patients and practices when the insured person is ill, but also when children are ill, and parents need a doctor's certificate to claim child sickness benefit.
- Parents in Germany are currently entitled to take time off work for sick children up to the age of twelve, obtaining a certificate from the doctor's office. However, the new regulation is expected to make this process more convenient and less time-consuming.
- The ministry has reported an increase in the number of children's sick days that can be claimed, from 10 days per year under special coronavirus regulations, to 15 days per child and parent for 2024 and 2025, thanks to a recently passed law.
Source: www.stern.de
