Nursing representative Staffler rejects fears that nursing care funds will go bankrupt

The federal government's nursing commissioner, Katrin Staffler (CSU), has rejected fears that nursing care funds will go bankrupt.

According to calculations by the umbrella association of statutory health and nursing care funds (GKV), the income from October will probably no longer be sufficient to finance all services. But the coffers would not become insolvent, said Staffler.

“Of course it won’t happen that the nursing care funds will go bankrupt,” she told BR. Federal loans could bridge the time until the planned care reform starts at the beginning of next year. But this also means that the care reform must be completed quickly.

Even emergency loans don't make up for the loss

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds expects a deficit of around 4.4 billion euros this year. Even with the current emergency loan of 3.2 billion euros and the money from the care compensation fund, the deficit cannot be completely offset, according to the association's forecast.

The main drivers of expenditure are the increasing number of people in need of care, the costs of short-term and preventive care as well as the increasing subsidies for the own contributions in fully inpatient care. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds sees a need for change, particularly when it comes to classifying the need for care.

The nursing care reform is already in preparation and should be passed by the cabinet in September, as a spokesman for Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) said. But details are open.

Difficult classifications for nursing degrees?

Linnemann has a draft from his predecessor Nina Warken (CDU) on the table. This provides for lower expenses for care. In the future it will become more difficult to receive care services. To this end, the requirements for classification into nursing degrees should be raised. The background is the sharp increase in the number of people in need of care in recent years, which cannot only be attributed to the aging population.

Those in need of care in homes will be placed under a greater burden in the future than they already are. The state subsidies, which reduce the contributions of those affected, should only take effect later.

In addition, the care contribution for childless people should increase slightly to 4.3 percent. There will be restrictions on free co-insurance for spouses.

Warken had also aimed to reduce pension contributions for caring relatives. Her successor Linnemann wants to avoid this if possible.