UK / BG

If the illness has been recognised as an occupational disease or accident at work, the accident insurance funds and occupational insurance associations (UK/BG) can help with questions about long COVID. Together with the occupational insurance association clinics (BG clinics), they developed, at an early stage, a cross-regional, structured and interdisciplinary offer for those affected by the consequences of an occupational COVID-19 illness.

Some people become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus as a result of their work. Since the beginning of the pandemic, this has been particularly common among healthcare and welfare workers. In principle, an infection caused by work-related activities can be an insured event for statutory accident insurance.

Statutory accident insurance is the branch of social insurance responsible for work, school and commuting accidents, as well as occupational illnesses. For example, all employees as well as children and young people attending their child day care facility or school are insured. The statutory accident insurance providers are the occupational insurance associations and accident insurance funds.

In case of an insured event, they cover the costs of curative treatment and rehabilitation. If your earning capacity remains permanently impaired despite all measures, you may also be entitled to a pension from the statutory accident insurance. Many insured persons are not aware that they are covered by statutory accident insurance, as insurance cover is free of charge for them. The contributions are paid by the employer or, in the case of schoolchildren and kindergarten children, by the public authorities.

The umbrella organisation of the occupational insurance associations and accident insurance funds, the DGUV, provides further information on its website.