🏥 Medical rehab for exhaustion
In brief
If outpatient treatment is not enough to preserve or restore fitness for work, medical rehabilitation comes into consideration – often in a clinic specialising in psychosomatic exhaustion illnesses. The funding body is usually the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German Pension Insurance) if this can preserve, significantly improve or restore fitness for work; otherwise the health insurer may be responsible.
A basic principle of German social insurance is "rehab before pension": before a decision is made on a reduced earning capacity pension, it is checked whether a rehabilitation measure can restore fitness for work.
Step by step
- Have the need for rehab medically assessedYour GP, psychotherapist or the health insurer can suggest rehab.
- Submit an applicationThe application is submitted to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung or – depending on the case – to the health insurer; under certain conditions a rehab application also counts as a pension application if rehab is not enough (§ 116 Abs. 2 SGB VI).
- Use your right to chooseYou can choose among several suitable facilities and state preferences on location and form.
- Complete the rehabInpatient, full-day outpatient or outpatient, depending on the recommendation; stays of several weeks in specialised psychosomatic clinics are usual.
- Follow up with aftercare and gradual return to workAfterwards, outpatient aftercare services and a gradual return to work come into consideration.
Deadlines
- Under certain conditions, a rehab application is automatically treated as a pension application under § 116 Abs. 2 SGB VI if the rehab is not promising – in certain situations this can be an advantage, but it should be discussed beforehand with an advice centre.
- Which clinic comes into question and how long a rehab lasts is decided by the funding body on the basis of the medical recommendation – a flat nationwide guideline for the duration could not be reliably verified and is therefore not stated here.
- Rehab is not a "reward" and not a holiday – its express aim is to restore fitness for work; this shapes the content and structure of the stay.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Responsibility and legal basis
The Deutsche Rentenversicherung provides medical rehabilitation benefits if the insured person's fitness for work is significantly endangered or reduced, or can be restored, as a result (§§ 9 ff. SGB VI, in particular § 15 SGB VI, in conjunction with the general rehab provisions of SGB IX). If no reduced earning capacity is to be expected or the insurance-law conditions at the pension insurance are not met, the health insurer may be responsible under § 40 SGB V.
The principle of "rehab before pension"
§ 9 Abs. 1 SGB VI and § 8 SGB IX enshrine the principle that rehabilitation benefits take priority over payment of a pension because of reduced earning capacity. Only if rehab does not promise sufficient improvement or was unsuccessful does a reduced earning capacity pension come into consideration (see separate topic page).
Psychosomatic rehabilitation
For exhaustion-related mental illnesses, rehab clinics specialising in psychosomatics are often suitable, offering multimodal treatment concepts (individual and group therapy, exercise, relaxation and occupational therapy). The form (inpatient, full-day outpatient, outpatient) and duration depend on the medical recommendation in each individual case.
Right to choose
Under § 8 SGB IX, justified wishes of the insured person regarding location, type and implementation of rehab must be met insofar as they are reasonable – this includes the choice between several suitable, approved facilities.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.