Companies want to support their employees in the best possible way — whether through stress prevention, exercise opportunities or family-friendly services. But many are not aware that statutory health insurance companies are obliged to subsidize such measures if they are based on a clear legal basis. Decisive guidelines include Section 20b SGB V of the Social Code (SGB) and the prevention guidelines of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds. In combination with heycare as a platform for family services and mental health (EAP), a holistic approach is created that strengthens employees in all walks of life.
Statutory basis for the subsidy
- Section 20b SGB V (SGB) regulates that health insurance companies must financially support health promotion measures in companies.
- The Prevention guide specifies which content and quality standards must be met. In particular, these fields of action are eligible for funding:
- movement
- sustenance
- Stress Management & Relaxation
- Search prevention
For companies, this means that anyone who plans measures according to these criteria can benefit from financial support and at the same time meet verifiable quality standards.
Why care services & mental health are part of it
Health promotion doesn't end at the office door. Challenges from the private environment — whether psychological stress, raising children or caring for relatives — they all have a direct effect on performance and well-being at work.
heycare offers digital and anonymous support in the form of consultations, webinars and advice — easily accessible in our app:
- Mental Care: psychological counseling, crisis assistance and preventive support in the event of stress and overload
- Child Care: socio-educational advice and support on educational and family issues
- Elder Care: professional advice and relief in organising care and support for relatives
Our qualified advice and prevention services are aimed at promoting health, absorbing stress at an early stage and strengthening employees in the long term. This is precisely why they can be recognized and subsidized by health insurance companies in accordance with Section 20b SGBV and the Prevention Guideline.
Our counseling staff is professionally qualified, from psychologists and psychological psychotherapists to social pedagogues with additional qualifications and nurses with profound experience and thus meets the requirements of the Prevention Guide.
Content requirements for offers in accordance with the Prevention Guide
For offers to be eligible for funding, they must meet the following criteria, among others:
- Health promotion as a central core: Measures must demonstrably serve to maintain and promote health: Goals such as stress management or mental health must be defined and measurable
- Holistic concept: Measures must be part of a coordinated health promotion concept — not an individual measure.
- Access & Inclusion: Digital or hybrid formats must be barrier-free and accessible to all target groups.
- Demonstrable need: The basis is a documented needs analysis, e.g. surveys, absences, long-term patients, GBU Clear target group: clearly described, including diversity and inclusion.
- Participation: Employees should be involved in planning and evaluation.
Step-by-step: How to proceed as a company now
1. Determine requirements
- Carrying out an analysis of the health of employees (mental health or family stress) — e.g. through anonymous surveys, evaluation of absences or HR figures.
- Inclusion of the risk assessment of psychological stress (GBU) as a possible tool.
- Objective: A specific need for action must be identified, from which a structured action plan can be derived.
2. Contact health insurance companies
- Exchange of funding opportunities in accordance with Section 20b SGB V with the company health insurance fund (or health insurance company, with which the majority of employees are legally insured.)
- Important step: Comparison of measures with the quality criteria of the Prevention Guide to ensure that the planned measures are eligible for funding.
3. Plan measures
- Develop a holistic concept: Combination of classic prevention modules (e.g. health checks, sports funding) and digital services such as heycare for mental care, child care and elder care.
- Document health insurance subsidies for each measure
4. Measure implementation & success
- Clear and transparent communication about the benefits of prevention measures (e.g. simplicity, anonymity and diversity of using the heycare app)
- Evaluate feedback and usage data and document qualitative effects (employee retention, satisfaction)
Did you already know? Also claim tax benefits with heycare
In addition to funding from health insurance companies, there are additional tax Creative leeway for employers:
- €50 benefit in kind (Section 8 (2) sentence 11 EStG): Employers can grant their employees up to €50 a month tax-free as a benefit in kind. This can be used, for example, for vouchers or earmarked services — even in the context of health or family services.
- Section 3 No. 34 EStG — Tax exemption for health promotion: Employer benefits for occupational health promotion are tax-free of up to 600€ per employee and year, provided that they are granted in addition to the salary owed anyway and also meet the requirements of Section 20 SGB V and the Prevention Guide.
Our Customer Success Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
