Long-term care insurance information

It is particularly important to be well informed when it comes to long-term care. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Health provide extensive information on long-term care and long-term care insurance.

The website of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth offers comprehensive information on long-term care insurance for:

• People in need of care,
• caregiving relatives and
• caregivers.

The Care Strengthening Acts create the basis for more benefits for those in need of care, more relief and security for family caregivers and more time for nursing staff. On the website of the Federal Ministry of Health you will find

• Information on financial benefits from long-term care insurance
• Information on all aspects of care
• Answers to questions about care and care insurance
• Solutions for problems in the everyday lives of people in need of care and carers

The care support centers in Hesse provide citizens with comprehensive and independent information and advice on care issues close to their homes. There is a care support center in every district and independent city in Hesse. Further information on the care support centers in Hesse and a list of contact details can be found at https://www.pflege-in-hessen.de/beratung-und-information/pflegestuetzpunkte/.

In order to claim long-term care insurance benefits, an application must be submitted to the long-term care insurance fund; this can also be done by telephone. The care insurance fund is located at the health insurance company. Family members, neighbors or close acquaintances can also submit the application if they are authorized to do so. As soon as the application is submitted to the long-term care insurance fund, it commissions the Medical Service (MD) or other independent experts to assess the need for long-term care. Privately insured persons submit an application to their private insurance company.

The statutory processing period for applications for care services is 25 working days. In the case of a stay in hospital or in an inpatient rehabilitation facility, the assessment by the MD or other independent assessors must be carried out within one week if this is necessary to ensure continued care or if the use of a leave of absence under the Caregiver Leave Act has been announced to the employer of the caregiver or agreed with the employer under the Family Caregiver Leave Act; the shortened assessment period also applies in the case of a stay in a hospice or during outpatient palliative care. If the applicant is in a home environment without receiving palliative care and the use of a leave of absence under the Caregiver Leave Act has been announced to the employer of the caregiver or agreed with the employer under the Family Caregiver Leave Act, an assessment must be carried out within two weeks of receipt of the application.