Hilfe bei Schwangerschaft und Mutterschaft

If you receive social assistance or basic benefits, you will be supported during pregnancy and maternity leave.

As a beneficiary of social assistance or basic social security, you will be supported by the social welfare office during pregnancy and maternity if you do not have health insurance. You will receive the normal health insurance benefits:

• Medical treatment and care,
• support from midwives,
• Medicines, bandages and remedies.

If needed, you will receive care in inpatient facilities. If you need care at home and the family cannot take care of it, home care costs will also be covered on a pro rata basis. However, this depends on the level of care.

• Application for health assistance
• Identity card or passport (or other documents that can identify the person beyond doubt)

About the documents required in individual cases (such as proof of pregnancy or maternity record, proof of income and assets, proof of current expenses, current notification of subsistence benefits, prescriptions and/or if applicable. Proof of payment, required confirmations of advice, cost estimates, rejection notices, etc.) the competent social assistance institution shall be informed.

Assistance for health is given to persons who do not have statutory or insufficient private health insurance, who are not eligible for the provision of benefits via the health insurance fund (§ 264 Abs. 4 SGB V) and who cannot reasonably be expected to raise the funds for the necessary assistance from income and assets.

With the exception of the usual deductibles, there are no costs.  

A decision on the application will be taken as soon as possible, in particular if there is a clear sense of urgency.

There are no deadlines to be observed. However, the competent social assistance institution can only grant assistance after it has become aware of the need. Therefore, it is important to submit an application as soon as possible.

As a recipient of social assistance, if the corresponding benefits are not covered by health insurance, you will receive them from the social welfare office during pregnancy and maternity in the same quality and to the same extent if you are in need.

These are:

• Treatment by doctors
• help from midwives,
• Hospital accommodation
• Support services for home care if this cannot be provided by the family

Responsible is the social welfare office of the respective local social assistance institution (district, district-free city) in which the place of residence is located.

All you need to do is submit an informal application to the social welfare office responsible for you.