Do you run a fitness or health studio and want to attract new target groups? Then why not offer prevention and rehabilitation courses in your studio! Due to the Prevention Act, more expenditures are being made by health insurance companies in the areas of health promotion and prevention. This means that the health insurance companies can reimburse insured persons for fees for prevention and rehabilitation courses that they take in your studio!
What is the Prevention Act?
On June 18, 2015, the German Bundestag passed the Act to Strengthen Health Promotion and Prevention (Prevention Act). Through this law, since the beginning of 2016, payers are now obliged (e.g. health insurance companies, long-term care insurance companies) to spend more money on improving the health of their insured as well as prevention. This can be done either in the "living environment" (e.g., daycare or school), in workplace health promotion, or in an individual approach (e.g., back training courses). A guideline is used to determine which services can be provided in accordance with Section 20 of the German Social Code (SGB V) and recognized and reimbursed by the statutory health insurance funds. The statutory pension insurance, the statutory accident insurance, the social nursing care insurance and the companies of the private health insurance are also included.
Train your course instructors yourself!
It is important to note that, according to the guidelines, it is not the studio that is considered the provider, but the course instructors. These must have special recognized qualifications such as licenses or certificates and/or receive instruction in the program recognized by the health insurance companies. Only those who conduct their courses in accordance with the guidelines will be reimbursed by the health insurers.
But where do you get suitable course instructors who have the right qualifications? Why not train them yourself? You have the option of bringing committed young people into your studio to support you in the company as part of a dual study program, while at the same time earning their degree.
This is exactly what you can do with the courses offered by the IST University of Management. possible. The advantage of the IST University's bachelor's and master's degree programs is that they already include licenses and certificates that are recognized by health insurance companies. This means that your own employees can already lead certified prevention and rehabilitation courses without having to obtain additional qualifications. Your self-trained employees therefore have all the prerequisites for the course offerings covered by the health insurance companies!
"Our goal is to give our students an important basis for working successfully in this growth market by providing them with a comprehensive and well-founded education. Through the available licenses and certificates included in our degree programs, they directly position themselves excellently and can carry out corresponding course offerings sponsored by the health insurance companies."
Prof. Dr. Karsten Witte of the IST University of Management
Prevention and rehabilitation
Incidentally, not only prevention courses can be billed, but also offers in rehabilitation. The difference to prevention is that here people with illnesses are involved. The course instructors must also have the appropriate qualifications.
The IST University offers a variety of options for licenses and certificates in the field of prevention as well as rehabilitation. Which of these the students acquire is up to them. With many licenses, it is possible to bill the health insurance companies for a wide variety of course offerings:
- Offers with the orientation "prevention" (according to § 20 SGB V [individual programs] as well as § 20b SGB V [company health promotion])
- Offers with the orientation "rehabilitation sport" (according to § 44 SGB IX)
- Offers with the orientation "Supplementary services in rehabilitation" (according to § 43 SGB V)
Advantages for studio operators
Not only the course participants, but also you as a studio operator can profit considerably from the Prevention Act! You only have to offer services, i.e. courses, that your customers or course participants can have reimbursed by the health insurance funds. In this way, you reach new target groups and thus members. After all, anyone who has taken part in one of your prevention courses and was satisfied with it is very likely to become a long-term member. If you also offer rehabilitation courses, you can tap into another target group and position yourself as a health and quality provider.
You can find more information in the info flyer of the IST University of Management.
Published on: 4 October 2016