Methods for maternal care are extendable following miscarriages - After a miscarriage, maternity protection can now be claimed
Let's discuss the latest in maternal wellness, shall we? As of June 1st, ladies who've suffered a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy can claim maternity protection. You might be wondering what this actually means, how many gals it affects, and why you should care. Worry not, I've got you covered.
So, what's all the fuss about before?
The Maternity Protection Act has primarily focused on the period leading up to and following the birth of a bouncing baby. The protected periods normally start six weeks before birth and last eight weeks after. During this time, women typically take a break from their career, with maternity benefits replacing their full pre-pregnancy salary.
Now, where do miscarriages fit in? That's been a tricky topic.
Medically speaking, a miscarriage is when a pregnancy ends prematurely up to the 24th week. Previously, the ball was in the doctors' court, with affected women depending on a sick note. Unfortunately, neither a maternity protection period nor benefits under the Maternity Protection Act were granted in case of a miscarriage. That was unless their baby was lost after the 24th week.
But what's the deal now? Time for some updates.
The new law introduces a graduating system - yep, like in school. The further along in pregnancy, the longer the maternity protection period following a miscarriage. If a miscarriage occurs after the 13th week, two weeks of maternity protection are granted; after the 17th week, six weeks; and if a miscarriage happens after the 20th week (a fairly advanced stage of pregnancy), women can take an eight-week break from work. During these times, they're also entitled to salary replacement. No maternity protection is provided for miscarriages before the 13th week.
Heads up, though. If a woman decides to keep on clocking in despite a miscarriage after the 13th week, that's her call - the new law allows for that.
Now, what about the self-employed folks?
The new rules apply to independent women who are compulsorily insured. On the military and civil servant front, they'll be able to claim a maternity protection period in case of a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy. However, the self-employed who are privately insured don't get the same love. There's hope on the horizon, though - the new federal government aims to extend statutory maternity protection benefits to the self-employed, according to their coalition agreement.
So far, independent women expecting a baby have no legal claim to maternity benefits unless they are compulsorily insured. Federal Minister for Women and Family Affairs, Karin Prien (CDU), has emphasized the importance of considering changes for the self-employed, but there's no clear timeline for when this might happen.
As for how many women will take advantage of this new regulation, well... It's not entirely clear. The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs doesn't have official stats on the number of women claiming maternity protection or those who've experienced a miscarriage. Experts estimate that about one in three women experiences a miscarriage, and research by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology suggests that around 6,000 pregnancies end in miscarriage between the 13th and 24th week of pregnancy. The majority of miscarriages, about 84,000, happen before the 12th week, at which point maternity protection is still not provided.
Dang, that's so many numbers, eh? Sorry for overwhelming you, but there's only so much I can do with what's available. Keep calm and carry on, mate!
The Maternity Protection Act initially did not cover women who experienced miscarriages; however, from June 1st, women who suffer miscarriages after the 13th week of pregnancy will be eligible for maternity protection and salary replacement, with the duration of the protection period depending on the stage of the miscarriage. In addition, the new law introduces an focus on health-and-wellness and science, particularly in the area of women's health.
