Meine-Rehabilitation.de is a new web portal set up by the German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV Bund) to help people find a quality-assured rehabilitation centre. For each centre, users can see the results of the quality assurance audits carried out by the DRV Bund. The new online service allows the DRV Bund to fulfil its legal obligation to publicly report quality assurance results for rehabilitation centres and support insured persons in exercising their right to choose a rehabilitation provider.

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for foodstuffs and catering industry (Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gastgewerbe ‒ BGN) developed an AI-solution which automatically extracts ICD-10 codes from natural language text written by doctors in accident and emergency departments. These extracted codes allow derivation of Weller-Keys, which allow to predict the extent of incapacity for work and are of central importance for performance assessment and quality assurance of recovery processes.

Risk management is the process of identifying, analysing, accepting, mitigating or transferring uncertainty in investment decisions. Fund managers apply risk management by analysing and attempting to quantify the potential loss of an investment and then acting accordingly.

In the face of demographic transition, finding ways to offer citizens greater transparency about personal retirement planning and improve their level of knowledge about retirement planning has been a big topic of discussion for more than 20 years.

As the responsible accident insurance institution, Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Sozialversicherung für Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Gartenbau – SVLFG) is developing targeted prevention measures specifically aimed at seasonal workers (SW) in the agricultural sector. The development of a social media strategy for seasonal workers is a promising strategy for conveying workplace-related health and safety information.

Until recently, the German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV Bund) had several different customer service departments, each responsible for a specific area. There were two major issues associated with this model. Firstly, it was difficult to handle customer service queries in a consistent, transparent and satisfactory manner. Secondly, to avoid extra work for staff due to not standardized processes.

The German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV Bund) has created an online German Pension Portal so users can access key administrative services (e.g., pensions, rehabilitation, insurance, and subsidized private pension plans) on any digital device. Users can log in and use the online services anywhere, at any time. Using a smartphone, tablet or computer, citizens can quickly, easily and securely file applications and find information on topics including pensions, electronic communication services and more.

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Construction Sector (Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft – BG BAU) recognizes the enormous potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for the public sector, and is playing a pioneering role in exploring its use in social insurance.

Preventing occupational accidents before they happen is one of the key tasks of statutory accident insurance. An important component in achieving this goal is advising and supervising member companies through direct personal contact. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), it is possible to identify at an early stage those companies with an increased probability of an accident occurring in the future. This can improve the effectiveness of advice and supervision and reduce the occurrence of accidents.

Institutions are being transformed thanks to the integration of new technologies. This vision represents a corporate change with a social impact, reducing costs, simplifying processes and procedures, and raising awareness of the importance and benefits of this transformation.

Article 12 of Law No. 5508 on the Promotion, Protection of Maternity and Support for Breastfeeding establishes that maternity allowance should be paid to employed women by the social security scheme of Paraguay’s Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social – IPS). This amount is equivalent to 100 per cent of her salary at the time of delivery, and is paid for the prescribed months of rest. This used to be given to women in a single payment.

The issue of population growth and social security planning is one of the biggest challenges facing governments today, and is a key part of a good social security system that instils confidence in its members.

The Retirement and Pension Fund for Employees of Banks and Related Institutions (Caja de Jubilaciones y Pensiones de Empleados de Bancos y Afines) (Bank Fund, hereinafter) is in constant communication with its members. It therefore continuously updates its databases, in order to have a better understanding of members’ current realities, experiences and needs.

The project, “Care plan management for psychological illnesses following accidents” (Steuerung des Heilverfahrens bei psychischen Erkrankungen nach Unfällen), involves three components: the extension of case management to cover psychological disorders, the development of an e-learning seminar to train case workers, and the development and evaluation of a diagnostic algorithm. This comprehensive approach aims to bring about an overall improvement in the quality of care for patients who develop psychological disorders following a work accident.

Digital transformation is happening in institutions through the integration of new technologies. This vision represents an institutional and social change, optimizing available resources, reducing costs, shortening processes and procedures, and raising awareness of the importance and benefits of this transformation.

Good practice in health – service quality.

As health-care systems have evolved to become more complex and due to the resultant increase in patients coming to harm in health care settings, patient safety has emerged as a health-care discipline.

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the energy, textile, electrical and media products sectors (Berufsgenossenschaft Energie Textil Elektro Medienerzeugnisse – BG ETEM) is one of Germany’s social accident insurance institutions. As such, it has a duty to support the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of occupational accidents through all appropriate means (para. 1, No. 2 of Book VII of the German social security code (Sozialgesetztbuch – SGB)).

German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV) is using the potential of digitalization and is simplifying procedures for customers. The development of a customer web portal for preventive health care enables the DRV to provide customers with easy access to the relevant services. This is a first step towards achieving our strategic goal of creating a digital, personalized customer portal for the DRV.

The Punjab prevention strategy on safety, health and wellbeing at workplace is a new road map for achieving and implementing a prevention culture in the province of Punjab in Pakistan based on the ISSA Vision Zero Strategy.

The Actuarial Advisory Office (Asesoría Actuarial) of the Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social – IPS) carried out an actuarial valuation of the Common Retirement and Pension Fund (Fondo Común de Jubilaciones y Pensiones). The valuation looks to comply with international best practices and observe the guidelines and standards of the International Standards of Actuarial Practice 2 (ISAP 2), and the ISSA-ILO Guidelines on Actuarial Work for Social Security, with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

How can seasonal workers protect their safety and health at work, identify potential health or accident risks and be aware of the first aid measures that must be adopted should the need arise? Seasonal workers can find specific information on these issues, relevant to the needs arising at their place of work, using the new health and safety web app from the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Sozialversicherung für Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Gartenbau – SVLFG).

The introduction of a digital document workflow – and with it the end of hard copy records – requires a major adjustment on the part of the workforce. In autumn 2020, the German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV Bund) decided to involve case workers actively in this change. Through a procedure known as “pulse checks”, colleagues were invited to report back on their experiences and to identify any fears, concerns or opportunities arising.

In 2020 the coronavirus pandemic presented stakeholders in the field of safety and health at work with new challenges that required close coordination. In order to implement the SARS-CoV-2-occupational safety and health standard published on 16 April 2020, the official accident insurance institutions quickly backed up the general occupational safety and health measures with sectoral specifications. These specify the requirements for operational infection protection for each industry or activity within organizations and institutions in Germany.

Like most of the world’s countries, Paraguay has adopted lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These steps taken by the government have impacted the productive sector, leading to mass suspensions of employment contracts for persons insured with the Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social – IPS) of Paraguay.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Food and Hospitality Trades Cooperative (Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gastgewerbe – BGN) has been working with the International Section of the ISSA on Machine and System Safety to develop a comprehensive prevention-, research- and communication-based approach to support its members in the hospitality, bakery, butchery and food industries to provide healthy and safe workplaces.

German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV Bund) is in the midst of a digital transformation. The challenge arising is to adapt to the changing needs and demands of both members and staff. This requires effective overall management of the associated digitalization measures. To this end, the DRV Bund has appointed a Chief Digital Officer, created a separate Unit for Digital Strategy and Digital Transformation, published its first digital strategy and established priorities for implementation.

Paraguay’s Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión de Social – IPS) used to make sick leave payments at its administrative offices, which had associated administrative costs and meant beneficiaries had to visit the IPS service counter in person.

At the operational level, fatal and serious occupational accidents in trade and goods logistics occur rarely, so most companies fortunately lack concrete operational experience.

When the SARS-CoV-2-occupational safety and health standard came into force in April 2020, it appeared that film productions in Germany would no longer be able to film without complying with rules on social distancing, hygiene measures and masks. Since the needs of the film industry differ significantly from other sectors in this area, an urgent need for action was recognized, for example, to avoid jeopardizing cost-intensive film projects and the associated jobs.

The self-governance system that operates at the German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund – DRV) gives insured persons, pensioners and employers a voice in how their contributions are used. Honorary representatives, elected in social security elections, get to decide on key social security policies. They adopt budgets and decide on rehabilitation services. They also decide on staffing issues, land purchases, modernization measures and IT procurement to increase the digitalization of pension insurance.

The German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung – DRV) provides medical rehabilitation services based on the “rehabilitation before pension” principle. However, studies show that only every second recipient of a reduced earning capacity pension has made use of a rehabilitation benefit in advance.

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for trade and distribution of goods (Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik – BGHW), a member of the German Social Accident Insurance (Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallvericherung – DGUV), implemented a holistic strategy and quality management model that, with the two main components of strategy and quality management in the rehabilitation and services division (SQMS RuL), effectively supports BGHW employees in their duties.

India has a federal structure of governance, where health is a provincial subject and social security and labour are in the concurrent list. Healthcare and cash compensation for employment injury in the formal sector are provided by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) while the pension and provident fund are provided by the Employees Provident Fund. The employees of factories and establishments in the formal sector are entitled to social security benefits through the ESIC scheme.

The procedure for “comparative quality analysis” (VQA) of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the administrative sector (Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft – VBG), a member of the German Social Accident Insurance, serves to ensure the external quality assurance of rehabilitation facilities in the field of medical rehabilitation.

The BGN Trainee App is for trainees (particularly in their first year of training) and those starting out in the hospitality industry and is intended to ease the transfer from school to work. The app covers six subject areas: career, stress, sleep, movement, nutrition and emergencies. The app is rounded off with a contact database and professional advice. It was developed as part of the "Innovation and Demographic Change in the Hotel and Catering Industry" (Innovation und demografischer Wandel im Gaststätten- und Hotelgewerbe (INDIGHO)) project.

Contribute to occupational safety and health protection in the workplace, apply online and win “Die Goldene Hand” (The Golden Hand), the prevention prize awarded by the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the trade and logistics industry (Berufgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik – BGHW)! It is easy to apply and several hundred companies have taken the opportunity to participate in this award, in existence since  2015.

The extension of the ESI scheme was not progressing at the desired pace. In 2010 the threshold coverage level was reduced from 20 to 10 employees through an amendment to the Act. Moreover, in sparsely populated areas many establishments could not be covered even with the threshold of 10 employees.

The statutory social insurance institutions for accident, health and pension insurance carried out a pilot project in cooperation with ground handling managers at Hamburg Airport and the company Lifebonus GmbH, with the aim of reducing sickness absence due to back injuries. The project sought to improve cooperation and consistency in service provision creating synergies for insured persons. In terms of content, the focus of the project was to introduce a training satellite and job simulator for the loading staff at Hamburg Airport.

The German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung – DRV) is revising its notifications. In order to enable insured people and pensioners to better understand decisions, notifications will become clearer, more comprehensible, and more personal. Pension experts, public relations workers, and external language consultants will ensure that texts are also legally justifiable. The aim is to position the German Federal Pension Insurance as a modern service provider that also reinforces its closeness to its members through its notifications.

With its Rehabilitation 3.0 concept the VBG is systematically implementing the targets set by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - such as full and effective integration and respect for self-determination. Rehabilitation 3.0 comprises:

In March of 2015 the German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund) launched a new consulting service specially tailored to the needs of employers and firms. One of the aims of this service for firms is to reinforce preventively and sustainably employee health.

State Governments are instrumental in delivering healthcare services under the ESI Act. An enabling provision was inserted in the Act to establish a body at the State level to address certain operational issues.

A committee, entitled Medical Services and Medical Education (MSME), was constituted to explore various options to improve operational efficiency.

The electronically assisted company audit makes the procedure much simpler and at the same time more efficient for employers and tax consultants and for the Audit Office of the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung – DRV). The employer’s electronic payroll accounting data is transferred to the Audit Office in a defined form via a secure connection. Audit preparation for the employer is in many cases just a mouse click; paper documents only have to be provided occasionally.

The Employees  Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India provides social security benefits to its members in terms of provident fund and old age pensions under the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (referred to as the Act hereafter), enacted by the Parliament of India, which extends to the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The National Social Security Institute (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social – INSS) is a social security management body responsible for managing and administering certain financial benefits in the Spanish social security system, including medical checks related to temporary incapacity (TI) benefit.

From 2012 to 2018 there was a considerable increase in all TI indicators (incidence, prevalence and average duration).

In 2012 social security agencies in Germany decided to use the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a model in their own organization. Social security institutions were to be model employers. Anyone insuring the social risks of people must also take human rights into account. All those working in social security have to live up to these on a daily basis whether they work in prevention, rehabilitation or claims.

The inefficiency and complexity of various processes involving a multitude of forms and returns and the resulting difficulty in delivery of online services to over 60 million contributory subscribers and over 200 million accounts, was a big challenge for the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) of India since some time back. The sheer size of stakeholders heightened the need of digitization.

“Vision Zero: Zero accidents – Healthy work!” is the innovative prevention strategy of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the raw materials and chemical industry (BG Rohstoffe und chemische Industrie – BG RCI). This strategy sets out concrete objectives for reducing the risk of accidents and occupational diseases.

To ensure adequacy and improve the quality of social security benefits the following actions have been taken:
 

The ESIC has taken the following measures to proactively improve the scheme:
 

• The minimum amount of monthly dependants' benefit payable to dependants of a deceased insured person has been prescribed as 1,200 Indian Rupees (INR) a month.
• Long-term benefits (permanent disablement benefit and dependant's benefit) have been linked to the cost of living index.

On the basis of enquiries by German and Swiss accident insurers that began in 2011 it had become clear that tampering with safety devices on machines in factories had become very widespread. A study carried out by the German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV) showed that 37 per cent of safety devices on metalworking machines had been tampered with. Safety devices that have been tampered with significantly increase the risk of using machinery and lead to severe occupational accidents with their attendant suffering and high costs.

The web page "Safety and Work" (www.safety-work.org) - developed as part of the working programme for small and medium-sized enterprises of the ISSA’s Special Commission on Prevention - is currently operated and maintained by 21 international partners from seven different countries under the auspices of the BGN. It has been online since 2011 and is available in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. The partners involved are from non-commercial organisations such as, for example, statutory insurers, employer and employee organisations and welfare organisations.

Until recently structural and functional-oriented therapy approaches were the main ones to figure among the established procedures for medical rehabilitation. Occupational and activity-oriented treatment approaches had previously been under-represented.

ICT has been used to improve compliance, and to implement on-line registration of employers and employees, and make benefit payments.
Forms and the procedure for benefit rate calculations have been simplified.

The new systems and procedures resulted in savings of about 25 per cent of Branch Office staff which could be utilized in other information and communication technology (ICT) related work during its transition phase.

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) undertook a number of actions which led to the following measures being introduced to extend coverage:

Managing the flood of information and knowledge in the way described makes the BGHW more effective and more efficient. And because it has valid information at its disposal, the BGHW can minimise production risks. The BGHW has made it possible for staff to access the knowledge they need to provide the services in the right quantity and quality, in a structured manner, and fast - within seconds.

The posters are designed to help management and employees in companies that produce and handle hazardous substances to become familiar with the GHS as quickly as possible. The poster medium is particularly suitable for disseminating these new and serious changes in a way that is both vivid and clear. The ISSA was thus able to back the introduction of this global re-organization in Europe and support the dissemination of this knowledge actively. The figure of approximately 185,000 posters issued reflected the above-average positive feedback.

Given the greying of Europe's work force and the European employment objective of keeping more older workers in work for longer, it is very important to be able to predict (regional) trends in population ageing and employment. This calls for new scientific perspectives and solutions tailored to the practical realities, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular but for regional players too.

Over 270 million occupational accidents happen each year. These cause high costs and losses in work time. An active therapy management approach is therefore important The Weller system offers a comprehensive model for accident insurer case handlers. The Weller guide contains 170 principal diagnoses with over 450 diagnosis templates ordered by degree of seriousness. ? There are standard prognoses for the length of time a person will be unable to work for each injury type This takes account of the type of activity.

Together with the German accident insurances in industry, the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety of the German Social Accident Insurance (Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (IFA)) has developed a concept for ergonomic work design for young and older workers. The concept can be applied in various workplaces and presents innovative features that enable suitable prevention against work-related sicknesses.

Its application in different industries has produced very positive results in terms of economic, humanitarian, health and safety aspects.

Integrating individuals with health impairments into working life results in a win-win situation for all parties involved, anywhere in the world: from the disabled individuals themselves, through businesses and external service providers, to the insurance institutions. People who are unable to participate in working life find that their quality of life is seriously impaired, and are also forced to live at others' expense. Conversely, as employees they contribute towards the wealth of society as a whole.

These are the issues around which the Initiative Health and Work (Initiative Gesundheit & Arbeit(iga)) is built, through the work of the National Federation of Enterprise Sickness Funds (Bundesverband der Betriebskrankenkassen(BKK)), German Social Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV)), the National Federation of Local Sickness Funds (AOKBundesverband) and the Association of Substitute Health Funds (Verband der Ersatzkassen e.V. (Vdek)).

The pension information contains a projection of how the statutory old age pension entitlement will develop until the individual's retirement age is reached. The pension information also states the pension amount that would be payable on the basis of contributions already made by the individual.

With this in mind, health education seminars (secondary individual prevention - SIP) were systematically developed. Following successful phases of development and trialling, training and advisory centres were set up nationwide. These run two-day seminars which hairdressers can attend at a time and place which suits them.

The SVLFG therefore launched a pilot project to minimize this major cause of accidents. The project "Stable and fit throughout life" aims to establish high-quality fall prevention courses in rural areas.