Procedure descriptions

Apply for medical preventive care and rehabilitation measures for mothers and fathers

Parents face a wide range of stresses in everyday family life. If their health suffers as a result, treatment at a specialist facility can help.

Under certain conditions, mothers or fathers are entitled to a mother-and-child or father-and-child programme through their health insurance fund. This programme can be carried out as a preventative measure – that is, to improve health – or as a medical rehabilitation programme to restore health.

A mother- or father-and-child programme is an inpatient treatment programme for mothers or fathers at a facility run by the Müttergenesungswerk or a similar organisation. It focuses on the particular stresses faced by mothers or fathers and is specialised for this target group. It usually lasts three weeks and can be applied for every four years.

In principle, children up to the age of twelve can take part in the mother-and-child or father-and-child programme. Children may be accompanying children (without their own treatment) or children receiving therapy (with their own treatment). It is, of course, also possible for you to attend the programme without your children.

During the stay, parents do not need to apply for leave from their employer, as the authorisation is treated in the same way as a certificate of incapacity for work.

Please note: If you have private health insurance, the extent of the reimbursement depends on the terms of your personal insurance policy. In this case, please check with your private health insurer.

Responsible department

Your statutory health insurance fund, your private health insurance provider or your benefits office

Details

Prerequisite

  • You are insured with a health insurance fund.
  • The treatment for mothers or fathers is medically necessary and has been prescribed by a doctor.
  • A separate prescription is required for children accompanying the parent undergoing treatment.

Procedure

You must apply for the mother-and-child or father-and-child scheme, together with the necessary documents, at your local authority:

  • The application and the doctor’s prescription will be assessed there.
  • If necessary, the documents will also be reviewed by the Medical Service.
  • You will then receive a letter from your health insurance provider informing you whether your application has been approved or rejected.

You usually have six months to start the programme. The selection of a suitable health resort is primarily based on medical indications and is carried out by your health insurance provider. As a patient, you have a say in the choice of facility through your right to express a preference and make a choice.

For reimbursement of the costs of a mother-and-child or father-and-child programme, it is important that approval from the health insurance fund is obtained before the programme begins.

Deadlines

  • You can apply to your health insurance fund for a mother-and-child or father-and-child programme once every four years.
  • A shorter interval is possible if an earlier programme is urgently required for medical reasons

Required documents

  • A doctor’s prescription for a preventive or rehabilitation measure for mothers or fathers, and, where applicable, for accompanying children
  • A completed application form for your health insurance provider

Costs

  • For processing the application: none
  • The costs of your mother-and-child or father-and-child programme are covered by your health insurance fund.
  • You will only be required to pay the statutory co-payment of EUR 10.00 per adult per day; children are exempt from this. Exemption from the co-payment for adults is possible under certain conditions. Please contact your health insurance provider for further details.

Processing time

The health insurance fund must decide on your application promptly, usually within three weeks. If an opinion is sought from the Medical Service, this period is extended to five weeks.

Miscellaneous

You can obtain information on preventive care and rehabilitation measures, as well as other benefits (such as travel expenses and domestic help), from your health insurance provider, as well as from the advice and referral services run by welfare organisations and the Müttergenesungswerk.

If you have private health insurance, the extent of the reimbursement depends on the terms of your personal insurance policy. In this case, please check with your private health insurer.

Legal basis

Sozialgesetzbuch Fünftes Buch (SGB V) - Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung:

  • § 23 Medizinische Vorsorgeleistungen
  • § 24 Medizinische Vorsorge für Mütter und Väter
  • § 40 Leistungen zur medizinischen Rehabilitation
  • § 41 Medizinische Rehabilitation für Mütter und Väter
  • § 61 Zuzahlungen

Release note

Machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 28.05.2026