Gradual reintegration underused

Heart attack, cancer, back problems or depression - as usually is the diagnosis in workers who are on sick leave for more than six weeks in the year. Although they account for only about five percent of the approximately 3,9 million work disability cases in 2011, they were responsible for almost half of 51 million sick days, so the current health report of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). For personal blow comes a long break from work, which is often difficult to catch up again. Therefore, health insurance companies offer the so-called gradual reintegration.

"The patient can try out what he can do without having the pressure to be fully operational again immediately," says Inken Holldorf, a sick pay expert at TK. However, this possibility is still not used enough. 2011 27.000 TK insured nationwide had made use of it. That corresponds to 15 percent of the long-term ill. In Berlin, the rate was lowest with nine percent, in Baden-Württemberg with 19 percent highest. "The transition from sick to healthy is fluid, so we'd like to see even more long-term patients take this opportunity to test their own ability to exercise," explains the TC expert.

In consultation with the patient, the attending physician prepares a resettlement plan that specifies exactly how long he can work for how many hours. This plan will be presented to the employer and health insurance company and adjusted if necessary. "At first, the employee only works for a few hours a day, and in the next four to eight weeks, the workload is increased until full working hours," says Holldorf. During reintegration, the patient continues to be considered incapacitated for work, which is why he usually continues to receive sick pay. Only if the employer voluntarily agrees to pay or self-employment earns sickness benefit or is reduced accordingly. Sick pay will be paid for the same illness for up to 78 weeks within three years.

Even if the patient has undergone outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation at the expense of the pension insurance, he can return to work with gradual reintegration. As a rule, the caregiver of the rehabilitation facility then draws up the rehabilitation plan. Instead of sick pay, the patient receives a transitional allowance from the pension insurance until he receives his full salary again.

Source: Hamburg [TK]