Applying for maternity benefit as a person with statutory health insurance

You can apply for maternity benefit from your statutory health insurance fund by post or - in the case of many statutory health insurance funds - in person at the office.

• To do this, have your doctor or midwife issue you with a certificate of the calculated date of birth (so-called sample 3).
• Fill in the back of the certificate of the calculated date of birth and, if necessary, a separate application form from your health insurance company.
• Submit the certificate of the calculated date of birth and, if applicable, the additional completed application form together to your health insurance fund.
• You do not need to do anything else until the date of delivery. Your health insurance fund:
  • will contact you if there are any queries or missing documents,
  • informs you whether and to what extent you are entitled to maternity benefit and
  • will transfer the first payment of maternity benefit for the period up to the expected date of birth as soon as the necessary data has been provided by your employer.
• After the birth, you submit the birth certificate or proof of your baby's birth to your health insurance fund. In the event of a premature birth or a medically diagnosed disability of your child, you should also submit the medical certificate confirming the premature birth or disability of the child.
• Your health insurance fund will then transfer the second part of the maternity benefit to you for the period up to the end of the maternity protection period.
• After the second payment, your health insurance fund will automatically send you a certificate of receipt of maternity benefit for the parental allowance office.

List of health insurance funds on the website of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband)

List of health insurance funds on the website of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband)

You can apply for maternity benefit from the statutory health insurance fund if you

• are a member of statutory health insurance yourself - family insurance is not sufficient
• are an employee at the start of the maternity protection period or
• your employment relationship has been terminated by your employer during your pregnancy or the maternity protection period, or
• you receive unemployment benefit I or
• you are self-employed and are entitled to sickness benefit as a person with voluntary statutory health insurance.
• do not receive any pay due to the maternity protection period (e.g. students with non-insured employment or persons with marginal employment who are voluntarily insured.
• You will not receive maternity benefit in the following cases
• you receive wages subject to contributions within the statutory maternity protection periods due to full continued employment, earned income or vacation pay. Your entitlement is suspended during this period.
• you are a civil servant. You will then continue to receive your salary.
• you are an adoptive mother.
• Your entitlement to unemployment benefit I is suspended because you are receiving parental benefit for an older child.
• you receive unemployment benefit II.

For the application to your statutory health insurance fund:

• Certificate from the doctor or midwife about the calculated date of birth, the so-called MET certificate or the so-called sample 3.
• Certificate of earnings.
• After the birth: birth certificate or proof of birth of your baby; in the case of a premature birth or a disability of the child, a medical certificate of premature birth or disability of the child must also be submitted, so-called model 9.
• Further documents may be required in individual cases. Please contact your health insurance company for more information.

There are no costs.

If possible, you should apply for maternity benefit at the beginning of your maternity protection period. However, you can also submit the application after the birth of your child. However, a limitation period applies in this case. This begins at the end of the year in which your protection period began, i.e. on January 1 of the following year. It ends 4 years after this year on 31.12.

• § Section 19 (1) of the Maternity Protection Act
• § Section 24i of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V)
• § Section 14 of the Second Act on Health Insurance for Farmers (KVLG 1989)
• § Section 3 Maternity Protection and Parental Leave Ordinance (MuSchEltZV)

• Contradiction
  • Detailed information on how to lodge an objection can be found in the notification of your application
• Social court action

Depending on your insurance status and professional situation, you can also apply for maternity benefit from the Federal Social Security Office (limited to a one-off payment of EUR 210).

28.05.2024