Practices are extremely unsuitable as “employer associations’ prosecution authorities,” complains the president of the pediatricians’ association. He demands that doctors be relieved of the burden of issuing certificates.
Pediatricians are calling for sick leave for children to be abolished for minor illnesses and thus to relieve the burden on doctors’ practices.
The abolition of the certificates that are necessary to receive child sickness benefit is the first priority when it comes to reducing bureaucracy, said the President of the Professional Association of Pediatric and Adolescent Doctors (BVKJ), Michael Hubmann, to the “Ärzte Zeitung”. It amounts to an “unnecessary use of pediatric resources” if pediatricians have to certify a harmless illness. Parents could manage harmless illnesses themselves.
“Above all, we simply cannot judge whether a parent has to stay at home to look after a child or whether this could be arranged differently within the family. Absurdly, that is exactly what is required of us by law,” said the pediatrician. Doctors’ practices are extremely unsuitable as “prosecution authorities for employers’ associations”.
Child sickness benefit only with a doctor’s certificate
Parents can take time off work for sick children up to the age of twelve. The fund then covers a large part of the loss of earnings and pays child sickness benefit – usually 90 percent of the lost net wages. However, parents need a medical certificate for this. Since December 18th, you can also apply for this sick note for care by telephone and without visiting the practice. Certificates of receipt of child sickness benefit for a maximum of five days are possible.
Hubmann also viewed certificates that were necessary so that children with minor health problems could return to daycare or school as unnecessary work. He gave the following example: “A child has a mosquito bite. The daycare says: The child has a rash. So I get the dad from his editorial meeting. He picks up his son and comes to my practice.” Such a scenario is “no joke, it’s everyday life and a social harm.”
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has announced that he will reduce unnecessary bureaucratic burdens in doctors’ practices. In general, since December 7th, patients with minor illnesses no longer have to drag themselves into practices to receive a sick note for their job. The condition is that you are known to the practice and do not have any severe symptoms. You can then receive a certificate of incapacity for work for up to five days. A similar special regulation in the Corona crisis, which was extended several times, expired in the spring.
Source: Stern
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