Barmer study - Working mothers much more often at home with sick children
According to surveys by the Barmer health insurance company, mothers look after their sick children much more often than fathers. As the health insurance company announced on Wednesday in Schwerin, women in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern submitted applications for child sickness benefit around three times more frequently than men. Barmer alone, which is the second largest statutory health insurance company in the state with 267,000 policyholders, had received around 41,000 such applications in 2022. By the end of September this year, there had been 23,500. However, due to the wave of infections towards the end of the year, a noticeable increase is still expected, said Barmer state head Henning Kutzbach.
According to him, parents will have an extended entitlement to child sickness benefit from January 1, 2024. One parent per child will then be able to apply for 15 days of child sickness benefit per year instead of 10. For single parents, the entitlement will increase to 30 days per child. "It is important that parents are relieved when their child is ill. That's why it's also right that, despite the abolition of the special regulations, entitlement days are not going back to pre-corona levels," explained Kutzbach. The temporary increase in children's sick days due to the pandemic will end on December 31.
Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) welcomed the fact that parents of sick children could now apply for a doctor's certificate by phone without visiting a doctor's surgery. "A sick note by phone relieves the burden on mothers and fathers and also reduces the risk of infection during the cold season," she explained. However, the child must be known to the pediatrician's practice. The certificate of incapacity for work and for the receipt of child sickness benefit can initially be issued for a maximum of five days. For an extension, the child must present themselves at the practice.
According to Drese, there is currently a general increase in doctor consultations due to respiratory illnesses in children up to the age of 14. The new regulation will therefore relieve the pressure on surgeries in the state.
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- Mothers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern submit applications for child sickness benefit from their health insurance, such as Barmer, significantly more often than fathers due to their children's illnesses.
- The Barmer substitute fund, as the second largest statutory health insurance company in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, saw around 41,000 applications for child sickness benefit from parents in 2022.
- Health Minister Stefanie Drese acknowledged the importance of parents, like fathers, being relieved when their child is ill and supported the extension of child sickness benefit entitlement days for single and dual parents starting January 1, 2024.
- Despite the end of the temporary increase in children's sick days due to the pandemic on December 31, mothers and fathers will be able to use the doctor's certificate by phone for their sick children up to five days without attending a doctor's surgery.
- Heavy considerations led to the general increase in doctor consultations for respiratory illnesses in children up to the age of 14, causing pressure on surgeries in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- As the number of heavy diseases among mothers, children, and fathers continues to rise in various parts of the world, health insurance companies like Barmer have a crucial role in ensuring that individuals can access necessary medical care and maintain their well-being.
Source: www.stern.de
