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Applying for household help for people with statutory health insurance during pregnancy and after childbirth

If you are unable to run your household due to pregnancy or childbirth, you are entitled to household help under certain conditions. You can apply for this from your statutory health insurance fund.

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Procedure details

Under statutory health insurance, you can receive household help if you are temporarily unable to continue running your household due to pregnancy-related complaints or after giving birth. The prerequisite is that there is no other person living in your household who can continue to run the household.

During pregnancy and childbirth, you are entitled to support from a home help if you are unable to continue running your household because

  • you have pregnancy symptoms such as anemia, nausea or cramps,
  • your doctor has instructed you to take it easy physically, for example due to a high-risk pregnancy,
  • your health is weakened after giving birth.

You will need a certificate to apply for home help from your health insurance fund. Your doctor or midwife will confirm the need for home help and state the extent and duration of the home help you are likely to need.

If your statutory health insurance fund approves your application, it can arrange a home help from a care service or a comparable organization. If the health insurance fund is unable to provide domestic help or there is a reason not to do so, you can organize the domestic help yourself. You will then be reimbursed the appropriate amount of costs.

If your parents, siblings or other close relatives up to the 2nd degree help you in the household, your health insurance fund cannot reimburse them. However, it can reimburse travel costs and, in some cases, loss of earnings. Please contact your statutory health insurance fund for more information.

If you fall ill during pregnancy or after giving birth, you may be able to apply for household help in the event of illness. The conditions for applying for home help in the event of illness are different from those for pregnancy or childbirth. You will also have to make an additional payment.

  • You are a member of a statutory health insurance fund.
  • There is no other person living in your household who can continue to run it.
  • Your doctor or midwife certifies the need for household help.

  • Required Documents
    • Confirmation of the necessity, scope and duration of the household help

You can apply for household help during pregnancy and childbirth by post or - in the case of many statutory health insurance funds - in person at the office or online.

  • Complete the application form from your statutory health insurance fund and submit it to your health insurance fund together with confirmation of the necessity, duration and scope of the household help.
  • Your health insurance company will check your entitlement to home help and advise you on suitable providers. Alternatively, you can choose a home help provider yourself, provided they are a contractual partner of your health insurance company.
  • You hire the home help.

You do not have to pay anything for the application or make any co-payments. The home help usually settles the costs directly with your health insurance company.

You must apply for domestic help from your health insurance fund before you claim the benefit. If you have hired domestic help yourself, the costs can only be reimbursed in exceptional cases.

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Status: 03.06.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
Source: Federal Portal