Apply for medical rehabilitation at the expense of pension insurance

The purpose of medical rehabilitation is to improve or restore your ability to work.

In principle, medical rehabilitation can be repeated after 4 years - unless the benefit is required prematurely for health reasons.

Rehabilitation serves to treat health and functional disorders. The type of treatment and choice of rehabilitation facility depends on your symptoms.

Rehabilitation takes place in a pension insurance rehabilitation facility or in one of its contractual facilities. Medical rehabilitation services are available both on an inpatient and all-day outpatient basis and generally last 3 weeks. There are regulations that deviate from this form and duration of benefits for addicts.

This is paid for by the pension insurance:

• the trip
• accommodation
• the meals
• medical care
• the therapeutic services
• the medical treatments

In the case of inpatient medical rehabilitation, you can contribute a maximum of EUR 10.00 per day towards the costs. The co-payment depends on the amount of your income.

If your employer does not continue to pay your salary during your medical rehabilitation due to similar previous illnesses, you may receive a transitional allowance from the pension insurance fund.

You cannot receive medical rehabilitation if you

• are entitled to a similar benefit from another rehabilitation provider (e.g. accident insurance) due to an accident at work, an occupational disease or injury caused by a third party,
• are a civil servant, soldier or judge. Please contact your local integration office to find out from whom you can receive benefits,
• are already receiving or have applied for an old-age pension (at least two thirds of the full pension),
• have permanently retired from working life and are receiving a company pension, for example, until the start of your old-age pension, or
• are in custody or serving a custodial sentence.

Requirements

You can receive medical rehabilitation from the pension insurance fund if you

• have been insured in the statutory pension insurance scheme for at least 15 years (so-called "waiting period of 15 years") or
• receive a pension due to reduced earning capacity or
• receive a large widow's or widower's pension due to reduced earning capacity or
• have paid compulsory contributions for an insured employment or activity for 6 calendar months in the last 2 years prior to the application or
• have been in insured employment or self-employment within 2 years of training up to the date of application or were incapacitated for work or unemployed after such employment or activity up to the date of application or
• are of reduced earning capacity or this is to be expected in the foreseeable future if you fulfill the general waiting period of 5 years.

What documents do I need?

• Report of findings from your attending physician