Prof. Josef Hecken, impartial chairman of the G-BA: “The special regulation of the Federal Joint Committee on telephone sickness reports will continue to be used for the time being. It is currently difficult to predict how the number of COVID-19 patient cases will develop in hospitals and intensive care units in the coming months. To make matters worse, we are approaching cold and flu season. Both points speak in favor of focusing on safety for patients and study staff and extending the sick leave by telephone. I am thinking here above all of those patients who are chronically ill, who therefore have to travel to the doctor’s office more often than others and who also have a higher risk of infection due to their underlying disease. It is particularly important to protect them from preventable infections With sick leave over the phone, physician offices still have an easy-to-implement option to distinguish and between mild and severe cases of illness and avoid crowded waiting rooms. Hours of video consultation, which also avoid personal contact, are not yet offered everywhere.”
In force since 1 December 2022
The decision will enter into force on 1 December 2022 after the Federal Ministry of Health has raised no objections and published it in the Federal Gazette.
Source: Joint Federal Committee PM – 17.11.2022
Publisher: DMSG-Bundesverband eV – 21.11.2022
