🌿 Rehabilitation / addiction treatment
In brief
Addiction treatment – colloquially often called "rehab" or "therapy" – is a medical rehabilitation benefit. For people in work, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV, German pension insurance) is generally responsible; if you do not meet its insurance requirements, the health insurance fund steps in.
The application is usually prepared with the help of the addiction advice centre (social report); the DRV must clarify responsibility within certain deadlines. Depending on substance and form, treatment typically lasts several weeks to a few months.
Step by step
- Prepare the applicationThe addiction advice centre prepares a social report (form G0450/G0451/G0452); in addition, a medical findings report (S0051).
- Submit the applicationSubmit form G0100/G0110 "Antrag auf Leistungen zur Teilhabe" (application for participation benefits) to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (or health insurance fund).
- Wait for responsibility and approvalThe provider must clarify responsibility within 2 weeks and, as a rule, decide on the application within 3 weeks.
- Start treatmentInpatient, full-day outpatient or outpatient, if applicable followed by Adaption as a transition into everyday life.
Deadlines
- The frequently cited figures in weeks for rehab duration are guideline values from professional practice, not legally fixed periods – the actual duration is set individually.
- Older sources still cite "§ 26 SGB IX" as the legal basis for medical rehab – since the SGB IX reform of 1 January 2018, the correct provision is § 42 SGB IX.
- Transitional allowance (Übergangsgeld) must be applied for separately – it is not automatically approved with the rehab, and sickness benefit (Krankengeld) does not continue in parallel during rehab.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Legal basis and responsibility
The basis of medical rehabilitation is § 42 SGB IX (successor provision to the former § 26 SGB IX old version since 1 January 2018); §§ 9, 11, 12, 15 SGB VI specify the aim, requirements and limits for the pension insurance. The DRV is responsible if the rehab serves earning capacity and the insurance requirements under § 11 Abs. 2 SGB VI are met. Otherwise the health insurance fund is responsible under § 40 SGB V.
Application and forms
The DRV uses its own form package "Rehabilitation bei Abhängigkeitskranken" (rehabilitation for people with addiction): application G0100/annex G0110, social report from the addiction advice centre (G0450 ff.) and medical findings report (S0051). Addiction advice centres generally prepare the application or help with it.
Duration (guideline values, not fixed by law)
In professional practice, around 12–15 weeks are often cited for inpatient addiction treatment for alcohol/medication, and tendentially longer for illegal drugs (roughly 16–26 weeks); these figures come from secondary sources (Fachverband Sucht+, social services) and were not verified against a fully usable DRV primary source. After the treatment, an adaptation phase follows if needed, usually also funded by the DRV.
Transitional allowance
Anyone who was in employment subject to pension insurance contributions before rehab can receive transitional allowance (Übergangsgeld) – this must be applied for as a separate application and is not granted automatically with the rehab approval.
Uncertain/not conclusively clarified
Exact numbers of weeks for rehab duration and the exact amount of transitional allowance as a percentage of net earnings could not be verified against a fully usable primary source and should be asked about with the DRV in the individual case.
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.