Health insurance companies in Germany are fundamentally interested in improving the health of their insured persons and therefore also promote the quality of life of people with dementia. Efforts include early detection in order to slow the progression of the disease with preventive measures. In addition, some health insurance companies offer special services tailored to the needs of patients.
Occupational therapy, music therapy or social activities relieve the burden on relatives and offer patients social interaction and emotional support. Another aspect is further training in dealing with dementia patients. Health insurance companies create a greater understanding of the disease among nursing staff and relatives through seminars and information material. Some are more active in designing their services, while others may rely more on traditional forms of treatment.
Particularly exemplary health insurance companies in Germany
1. The Techniker Krankenkasse offers numerous programs to support dementia patients and their relatives. These include special training courses, advisory services and innovative projects to improve the quality of life.
2. The AOK has also launched various prevention programs and initiatives to focus on the early detection of dementia. It also offers psychosocial care services for those affected.
3. Barmer has been working continuously for years to improve the care of people with dementia. It offers training for relatives, support groups and forward-looking care concepts.
4. DAK also offers special counseling services for relatives, which is consciously committed to public relations on the topic.
The services can vary depending on the region, which is why you should contact your own health insurance company directly to find out about specific offers. In a personal conversation or by doing some online research beforehand, the best solutions can be found together.
How can music therapy be billed?
Services provided by statutory health insurance companies are regulated by the Social Code, Volume V (SGB V). They must be medically necessary, i.e. contribute to the treatment of an illness or have a medical indication. The treatment must generally be scientifically recognized. This means that there are demonstrable positive effects and corresponding specialist literature. The prescribing doctor has the task of checking the necessity and indication of a recommended therapy.
For numerous treatments, specific contracts or agreements exist between the individual health insurance companies and therapists. These stipulate how the services are to be billed. Sometimes the reimbursement of costs can depend on a special examination to ensure that the costs for a specific service are appropriate in the specific case.
Well-founded forecasts of positive effects
Research uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy. Clinical studies show positive effects on various health aspects. Divided into therapy groups and control groups, patients show significant differences in the improvements reported. In addition, music therapy can be supplemented by interviews. Patients report changes in their emotional and social well-being.
Neurological research shows how music affects the brain. Music creates feelings of happiness in a biochemical process and can help patients feel better and experience an improved quality of life. Imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging are used to underline the benefits. They show how music therapy changes brain activity in dementia and thus improves the cognitive processing of those affected.
Music therapy: Scientific evidence of effectiveness | Treatment of dementia | Benefits from health insurance companies – all articles at a glance.
