News blog on federal politics: Cabinet decides on nursing care reform

After a long struggle between the Union and the SPD, the federal government gives the green light for the planned care reform. A commission should now quickly present proposals for a balance between private and social care insurance.

In nursing care insurance, the premium surcharge for childless members is set to increase from January 1, 2027. It is to be increased by 0.3 points to 0.9 percent, as the Federal Ministry of Health announced after the cabinet decided on the nursing reform. The aim of the bill is to stabilize the financing of long-term care insurance as a first step, said Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) in Berlin.

Linnemann said: “The system is under massive financial pressure.” The number of people requiring care has tripled: today there are six million, 20 years ago there were two million. The reform initiated by the cabinet also contains many structural components.

In the future, as part of the nursing assessment, it should be checked more consistently whether rehabilitation can noticeably reduce the need for care. There are also plans to increase the contribution assessment limit for care by 300 euros per month. As of January 1, 2028, a premium surcharge for co-insurance of spouses or life partners of 0.52 percent is to be levied.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior also plans to keep asylum procedure advice, which is independent of the authorities, only open to asylum seekers who are particularly in need of protection. Only five million euros are earmarked for this in the federal budget for next year.

Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) reacts to the low filling levels of gas storage facilities in Germany. Reiche decided that the federally owned energy company Sefe would be ordered to store more natural gas. A spokesman for Sefe confirmed that the company had received instructions to procure eight terawatt hours of gas by December 15.

Federal Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) is giving families hope that the planned reduction in parental allowance months will not happen after all. Prien said she advocated that we sit down together again and see whether the savings measures for parental allowance were effective to this extent.

Attacks on bus drivers, train attendants and employees of other institutions serving the public good should be punished more harshly in the future. This is provided for in a draft law that the cabinet wants to discuss this Wednesday. For physical attacks on law enforcement officers, the minimum sentence is to increase from three to six months.