Criticism of care reform despite agreement between the Union and the SPD

Even after the agreement between the Union and the SPD, criticism of the care reform continues. “Increasing the contribution assessment limit in long-term care insurance sends the wrong signal and endangers the economic dynamism of our country,” said the Secretary General of the CDU Economic Council, Wolfgang Steiger, to the Augsburger Allgemeine. Those who rely more heavily on higher contributions for service providers "put a strain on work and employment and ultimately weaken the foundation on which the financing of our welfare state is based," he said.

However, the Economic Council positively assessed that prevention and rehabilitation should play a stronger role in the future. “In particular, the principle of ‘rehab before care’ and earlier support for those in need of care and their relatives point in the right direction,” said Steiger.

For the German Social Association (SoVD), Linnemann's reform proposals do not go far enough. The association welcomes the fact that a new commission will deal with structural reforms. “At the same time, central problems remain unsolved,” said SoVD board chairwoman Michaela Engelmeier to the Augsburger Allgemeine. She also criticized the fact that the federal government is not repaying the nursing care insurance company the additional costs from the corona pandemic amounting to 5.2 billion euros.

DAK boss warns against spreading contributions

The head of the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, Andreas Storm, is particularly critical of the planned increase in contribution rates for childless people. “3.6 percent general contribution and 4.5 percent for childless people – constitutionally we have already reached a questionable dimension here,” Storm told the Rheinische Post. The spread of contributions should not go any further.

The general contribution rate for long-term care insurance is currently 3.6 percent of contributory income and 4.2 percent for those without children. According to the plans, the rate for childless people is to be increased by 0.3 percentage points and will be 4.5 percent in 2027.

After long negotiations, the black-red federal cabinet launched part of the care reform package. This is intended to stabilize the financing of long-term care insurance in a first step, as Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) said. In addition to higher contributions for childless people, the plan is also to increase the contribution assessment limit. In the future, a surcharge of 0.52 percentage points will be charged for spouses who have previously been co-insured without paying contributions.

Linnemann rejects SPD demands

A commission is to develop proposals for a second major structural reform, which is to be implemented by next summer. According to the SPD, this commission should also deal with the important issue of capping personal contributions for nursing home costs. Linnemann, however, said on ZDF that this was not the case. The Health Minister argued that the SPD proposal only saves “perhaps 300 euros” for those affected. He also expressed concern that a cap could lead to higher prices.