faq
During the corona pandemic, patients were able to get a sick note from their doctor by telephone. The regulation is now to be introduced permanently. What requirements apply? An overview.
In the future, patients should generally be able to receive a sick note from their doctor’s office by telephone if they have minor illnesses. The Joint Federal Committee of doctors, health insurance companies and clinics wants to decide today on a change to the relevant incapacity for work guidelines.
When does the decision apply?
Unlike what is usual with corresponding guidelines, the insured should be able to use the option immediately after the decision. Committee member Monika Lelgemann agreed ARD capital studio said in advance: If the Federal Committee accepts the regulation, it will come into force immediately. “That means it will be possible from December 7th.”
In the Federal Committee, doctors, health insurance companies and clinics decide on specific health care services. The Federal Ministry of Health still has to formally examine the decision.
Which requirements there is?
The first requirement is that the patients must be known to the doctor’s office.
During the corona pandemic, telephone sick leave was limited to minor respiratory illnesses. Now all clinical pictures with “a course that is not expected to be severe” should be covered, said Lelgemann.
This is different from the Corona special regulation. Patients with serious diseases of the upper respiratory tract could also use these.
How long does the regulation apply?
During the corona pandemic, there was a special regulation for sick leave by telephone that was extended several times. It expired in April. The regulation should now be made permanent.
The committee had already been commissioned by law in the summer by the traffic light coalition to establish appropriate regulations for telephone sick leave, as a spokesman for the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) explained.
Why is this step necessary?
The telephone sick note is intended to relieve pressure on doctor’s offices and reduce the risk of infection in the waiting rooms. Germany’s family doctors had already criticized that the planned reintroduction of telephone sick leave was going too slowly. A decision in the Federal Committee was originally not scheduled for January.
What other options are there?
In addition to telephone sick leave, there are also video consultations to avoid going to the doctor’s office, said a spokeswoman for the Federal Committee of the dpa news agency. A sick note is possible for up to seven days for patients who are known to the practice – and up to three days for patients who are not known to the practice.
Follow-up sick notes can also be issued via video if the previous sick note was based on a personal examination.