In 2023, a lot will change again in the health sector: The Federal Minister of Health has announced comprehensive reforms – in terms of digitization and also in hospitals.
At the same time, health insurance contributions will increase and the corona pandemic will also remain an issue, as the Health Knowledge Foundation reports.
Electronic certificate of incapacity for work becomes mandatory for employers
Since 2022, the sending of the electronic certificate of incapacity for work (eAU) to the health insurance companies has been mandatory for all doctors. From 2023 are also employers obliged, on Participate in the notification procedure for the electronic certificate of incapacity for work.
Future employers call up the AU for employees with statutory insurance digitally from the responsible health insurance company. Employees then no longer have to submit a certificate of sick leave to their employer.
However, you will still receive a paper certificate of incapacity for work from your doctor so that you can prove your sick leave if necessary. Nothing changes in the general regulations on how to report sick to the employer. You can read more about the topic here.
Health insurance premiums increase
the Contributions from statutory health insurance companies increase by 0.3 percentage points in 2023 to an average of 16.2 percent of gross wages. This results from the Federal Government’s Statutory Health Insurance Financial Stabilization Act, which was passed in the autumn. With the increase, a financial deficit of the statutory health insurance funds of 17 billion euros is to be weakened.
Also the Contributions for privately insured are increasing. As the Association of Private Health Insurance writes, health insurance contributions are increasing an average of 3.7 percent. Also in the private care the contributions will be increased on January 1st. The average contribution is then for employees and the self-employed at around 104 euros per month. The reason is the adjustments to the care reform.
Contribution assessment limit is increased
From January 1st, the assessment limits for statutory health insurance and long-term care insurance will be adjusted upwards. The contribution assessment limit is the decisive operand for social security. An employee’s income is subject to contributions up to the contribution assessment limit; everything above this is non-contributory. In 2023, the contribution assessment limit will increase to EUR 59,850 per year (EUR 4,987.50 per month) and the compulsory insurance limit to EUR 66,600 per year (EUR 5,550 per month). Anyone who earns more than this amount can take out private health insurance.
Employer subsidy for privately insured increases
Due to the adjustments to the contribution assessment ceiling and the increase in the additional contribution for the statutory health insurance companies elevated himself the Employer subsidy for private health insurance of a little more than 20 euros per month. As announced by the Association of Private Health Insurance, this change will also apply from January 1, 2023.
Also in 2023 additional children’s sick days because of Corona
Due to the still high number of corona infections, the federal government has extended child sickness plan extended to April 7th. Each statutory insured parent is therefore entitled to a maximum of 30 working days child sickness benefit per child. If there are several children, the maximum is 65 days. Single parents are entitled to 60 working days or – with several children – to a maximum of 130 days. Child sick pay is usually 90 percent of the lost net salary.
Watch mindfulness at work: reduce stress, work productively and be happier at Amazon
Vaccination against COVID-19 in health care lifted
At the end of 2022, the statutory vaccination requirement for employees in the healthcare sector will expire. Since March 2022, staff in clinics, nursing homes and similar facilities have had to prove that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from an illness. If proof or a certificate was not provided, health authorities could issue bans on activities or entry. A fine of up to 2500 euros could also be imposed. The facility-related vaccination requirement was regulated in paragraph 20a of the Infection Protection Act.
Smoking will become more expensive in 2023
Cigarettes, cigarillos and tobacco will be more expensive from January 1st. The reason is a reform of the tobacco tax from 2021. The federal government at the time decided to gradually increase the tax over a period of five years. By 2026, for example, the price of a pack of cigarettes is expected to rise by around 8 cents a year.
Watch guide Suddenly ill and unable to work on Amazon
Extended right to a second medical opinion
From January 1, 2023 Patients are also entitled to a second medical opinion prior to a scheduled gallbladder removal. Physicians must indicate their right to obtain a second opinion when making the indication. With the decision, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) is expanding its guideline on the second opinion procedure to include another plannable intervention. A legal entitlement to a second opinion currently exists for amputation procedures for diabetic foot syndrome, palatine or pharyngeal tonsils, the spine, hysterectomy or cardiac arrhythmia, for which an electrophysiological cardiac catheter examination or sclerosing of cardiac tissue (ablation) is recommended. Likewise, second opinions for joint reflections on the shoulder and for the implantation of a knee endoprosthesis are legally possible.
More orientation on minimum quantity regulations in hospitals
On the website of the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Health Care patients about it in the future inform which hospital locations in the closer and farther Environment are entitled to provide certain plannable and minimum quantity-relevant inpatient services. The minimum quantity regulation was introduced in 2004 in order to guarantee the quality of medical services and highly complex interventions through experience and routine. These include, for example, kidney and liver transplants, the care of premature and newborn babies or total knee joint endoprostheses.
The electronic patient file receives additional functions
In 2023, the electronic patient record (ePA) will be expanded to include new functions. From 2023, insured persons will be able to store further medical information in their ePA, such as data on incapacity for work in the form of an electronic certificate of incapacity for work, participation in structured treatment programs for chronic diseases or digital health applications.
The following changes are still awaiting us in 2023:
