Spa Association calls for more mother-child cures

Every fourth mother-and-child cure application is denied

05/11/2013

Are mother-child cures rarely approved by health insurance? At least that is what the Bavarian Spas Association and the Müttergenesungswerk in Bavaria claim and therefore demand more consents in the sense of mothers and children. The Catholic Caritas Association can confirm that. According to their calculations, today many more mother-child cures are reimbursed than just a few years ago. But: „About every fourth mother and child cure is rejected“.

The Müttergenesungswerk and the Bavarian Spas Association criticize in a recent statement the lack of commitment of the statutory health insurance. The coffers would do too little for the health of mothers and children, so the charge. „Every fourth application for a mother-child cure is rejected“, confirms Stefan Wagner, member of the Caritas in the carrier association of the Müttergenesungswerks, on Friday in Munich. Actually, these cures are standard benefits of the funds and were among the mandatory services. Both associations want to realize future health services for parents and children in Bavaria. As a first step, the websites will merge together.

The mother-and-child houses of the Caritas Association are included in the so-called health finder. The Counseling Centers of the Maternal Welfare Organization, for example, help with inquiries from families whose relatives suffer from diabetes, asthma and mental illness. Also on the topic „Caring relatives“ more offers should be designed. This need arises from the fact that more and more people suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's disease and are cared for by their relatives. „Dementia or Alzheimer's play an increasingly important role in caring for families“, said the chairman of the spa association, Klaus Holetschek. Therefore, the spa houses will realize more such offers in the future.

Decline in outpatient pension benefits
According to evaluations of the Spas Association, the number of outpatient care services has fallen drastically since the 1990s. At that time, 900,000 cures were carried out in Germany at the time, but today (2012) there are only 58,000 left. The reduction in pension benefits contrasts with the increase in illnesses. Back pain, diabetes and stress disorders such as burn-out have increased significantly. Holetschek referred in this context also to the current stress report of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. There it was determined that every second person in professional life suffers from permanent stress. One in five said during a survey study that he felt overwhelmed. The maternal healing work sees in it indications of the increase of common diseases.

Since 2007, cash register members have a legal right to a cure with their children, if the family doctor advocates such. However, one is enough „diagnosis“ not from. A donation to the health insurance must be made mandatory. Last year, a new directive was created in which states of exhaustion were recognized as the reason for a mother-child cure. (Sb)