AOK Plus: 76 million for parents with sick children

AOK policyholders in Thuringia and Saxony have been supported with more than 76 million euros this year for lost wages due to caring for sick children. The child sickness benefit provides relief for families in difficult times, said Stefan Knupfer, CEO of AOK Plus. The extended entitlement to child sickness benefit, which has been in place since 2024, will also remain in place next year.

This means that in 2026, couples can apply for child sickness benefit for 15 working days per child with statutory health insurance, and single parents for 30 days. The entitlement generally lasts until the child's twelfth birthday. "Parents should be able to look after their sick children without having financial worries," says Knupfer.

Statutory health insurance companies reimburse 90 percent of the lost net income - or even 100 percent in the case of previous special payments such as Christmas bonuses. For the self-employed, the reimbursement is reportedly 70 percent of their income. Unemployment, pension and long-term care insurance contributions are deducted from the child sickness benefit.

AOK Plus is the largest health insurance provider in Saxony and Thuringia with around 3.5 million people with statutory health insurance. According to the data, this is more than half (57 percent) of those with statutory health insurance in both states.