This post is a continuation the contribution to social self-administration, regulated in §§ 43 ff. SGB IV.
Social elections. Yes, and how does it work?
Afterwards, some people might say: Now I've read your article on self-government under social law, but Ruth, I'm as smart now as I was before.
What do I do with this information? What can I do?
To be honest, you should first clarify for yourself: How much time am I willing to invest in this topic? Also in order to familiarize myself with topics that are not always that exciting, to deal with them? What skills could I bring there? (For the mothers among you who are not currently working and think: how should I get involved, I haven't studied, I am not a manager / what do I know - you are regularly world champions in: organizing, planning, transmitting bad news, sometimes be strict, improvise ... the list could go on and on).
Of course we already have a lot to do with coping with our illness in general. However, this is a topic that also affects other sick people or people with chronic diseases, be it obesity patients, rheumatism patients, etc. I do not write the famous "but" now 😊
Isn't the topic sexy? Please - then it makes it sexy. We are women.
One advantage: You don't have to squeeze into the hierarchy and program structure of a party. This is usually a main reason not to join a party for most people who are a little more politically interested.
You can already see what it is like in the Facebook groups. If someone suggests something, it will be torn in the air. I don't like to invest my heart and soul in that.
Understandable. However (you see, I bypass the "but") there are also many other experiences. Especially in the virtual self-help groups, help is often given, supported, encouraged, comforted, tips given, news disseminated, etc. without much fuss, sometimes a subtle distinction between constructive and destructive criticism is required. Because: if I criticize something, maybe I should know about a better solution. Or I should phrase it in such a way that it comes across as provocative but not offensive.
Social self-administration - how do I do that?
Look for fellow campaigners who want the same thing as you. If you already have these, you can already consider who has which strengths in which area. One is great at communication, the other is world champion in organizing, and yet another can just write in such a way that everyone understands and sounds good.
How do I make a Free List for Social Security Choice?
The preliminary procedure also has its pitfalls. There are many formalities to be observed. In particular, up to 2.000 supporter signatures are required to apply for admission to the social elections. I will publish a separate article on the formalities themselves, as this would go beyond the scope of an article.
You notice that I want to make the topic palatable to you without getting bored too much.
What is the basic requirement?
The basic requirement is in particular that several people form a group. This should harmonize somewhat. However, it is very good if one or two are always there, who also cause controversial discussions, because otherwise you will stew too much in your own juice. A typical form is the SHG (self-help group) or any other group that often arises from a lipedema round table.
In the long term, however, you have to consider the legal form in which you act. The point here is by no means to found the umpteenth association on the subject of lipedema, but rather concerns manageable forms of organization on a regional basis. The form of an association is quite suitable here, as it is geared towards such purposes. A GbR or a non-legal association, on the other hand, harbor numerous liability problems that should also be avoided with regard to the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please remember that this also includes membership of a supra-regional association such as Lipödem Hilfe Deutschland e. V. heard. Both forms strengthen each other, one on a regional level, the other on a supraregional level.
Is it really that far away?
I can only repeat myself: 2023 is not that far away. Lt. one Statista information there are currently 110 health insurance companies in Germany based on information from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds. If you only want to organize a free list for half of these registers, you have a good 50 lists. For this between 20 and 2.000 supporter signatures are required.
Again: 2023 is not that far away.
If you read the posts you will know why. The proposal lists are in January at the latest 2 0 2 2 to submit. It's mid-2018 now. A long time? Probably not.
Please also ask your questions. Because then I can specifically address them in my contributions.
With this in mind, more about this and many other topics on this blog,
best regards,
Your Ruth Leitenmaier.