Applying for sickness benefit for an accompanying person during inpatient treatment of people with disabilities

You can apply for sickness benefit as an accompanying person by post, in person at the office of many statutory health insurance funds or online.

• Obtain a certificate from the hospital confirming the medical necessity of the companion.
• Have the times of inpatient co-admission or all-day accompaniment certified.
• Submit the proof of the medical necessity of the accompaniment and the certificate of your attendance times together with the other necessary documents to the statutory health insurance fund.
• Inform your employer about your absence.
• The statutory health insurance fund will check your application and the documents and contact you if there are any queries.
• The health insurance fund will pay you the sickness benefit.
  • For employees: Your health insurance fund will only pay your sickness benefit after your employer has provided the health insurance fund with the necessary information about your salary.

• You and the person with a disability you are accompanying are covered by statutory health insurance.
• The person you are accompanying is being treated as an inpatient in hospital.
• Your admission to hospital as an accompanying person is medically necessary. A full-day accompaniment is treated in the same way. This means that the time you are present at the hospital together with your arrival and departure time is at least 8 hours.
• You have a loss of earnings.
• You are a close relative or part of the immediate family.
• The person you are accompanying receives integration assistance benefits. You will not receive sickness benefit from the health insurance fund if you accompany the person with a disability, for example as a personal assistant and receive payment for this. If you accompany the person with a disability as part of integration assistance, the costs will be covered by the integration assistance providers.
• Benefits are not already provided for accompanying inpatient hospital treatment as part of social participation benefits

• Certificate from the hospital confirming the medical necessity of the inpatient admission
• Confirmation from the hospital about the days of attendance

If applicable, proof of earnings or proof of loss of earnings. For employees, the employer usually reports the required remuneration data.

Note: In special cases, further documents may be required. Please contact your health insurance fund for more information.

There are no costs.

There is no deadline.

• § Section 44b of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V)
• § Section 8 of the Second Act on Health Insurance for Farmers (KVLG 1989)
• § Section 113 (6) SGB IX Rehabilitation and participation of people with disabilities

• Objection
• Action before the social court

Many statutory health insurance companies offer forms. Please contact your health insurance provider for more information.

09.11.2023