Mental illness model

16.01.2012 11:27

Mental illness is the most common cause of early retirement

Mental illnesses are the most common cause of early retirement: Due to mental and psychosomatic illnesses, around 70,000 employees in Germany had to leave their working lives early in 2010 alone - and this number is growing every year. The economic costs in Germany now add up to around 29 billion euros per year. Inadequate medical care has emerged as a cost driver. Sick people often have to wait too long for their first therapy, and there is a lack of intelligent networking for further treatment. This is where the Federal Association of German Employers' Associations (BDA) and the Association of German Company and Company Doctors (VDBW) come into play with a model that is intended to set a precedent in Germany. The pilot for this was developed at Salzgitter AG together with the company doctors, the company health insurance company and the German pension insurance in order to help affected employees quickly and reliably. Everyone involved in the treatment and the payers are closely networked to ensure a seamless therapy chain. The aim is the rapid recovery of the affected employees and their optimal (re)integration into the company. A joint declaration is now to be signed in which the focus is on close cooperation between the company and company doctors and those responsible for operations and a framework for action is defined for a concerted approach.