Care Expert Tip May 2017 - Fully Maximize Claims from the Past Two Years

The Expert Tip May 2017 from famPLUS care consultant Annika Heinze

Relief amount – Fully utilize claims from the past two years

It is the big topic of nursing care insurance this year: The changes due to the Care Strengthening Act III as of January 1, 2017. The transition from care levels to care grades is very prominent – alongside which another topic somewhat fades into the background: The very helpful special regulations regarding entitlements to the relief amount.

This was the legal situation until 12/31/2016.

Until the end of 2016, the regulation applied that unused relief amounts (formerly: care and relief services) could still be accessed until June 30 of the following year. Up to this point, the relief amount was also divided into two levels: depending on the severity of the cognitive impairment, the person in need of care was entitled to €104 or €208 per month for care services.

Changes under the Care Strengthening Law

With PSG III, the relief amount was standardized from the mentioned two levels to 125€ per month. But it is also important to know that, under a special regulation, claims from the years 2015/2016 can still be accessed until the end of 2018. These unused relief amounts accumulate with the nursing care fund like in a kind of account. This means that those in need of care, who already had a recognized care level with limited everyday competence in the years 2015 and/or 2016 and did not fully utilize the relief amount, can still use it.

On the one hand, it can be used to co-finance care services: relief services recognized under §45b, such as care groups, hourly individual care or domestic help, day care, or short-term care. On the other hand, costs from the years 2015/2016 can also be reimbursed retroactively upon presentation of receipts. In parallel, care-dependent individuals are entitled to the monthly amount of €125, which has been effective since 1.1.2017.

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