After the cabinet decision on nursing care reform, the SPD parliamentary group called for significantly more far-reaching steps. The approved draft would "prevent the worst planned cuts in services," said SPD parliamentary group leader Dagmar Schmidt, with a view to nursing allowances and subsidies for inpatient care. In addition, it was prevented that care workers had to expect zero pay.
At the same time, she called for further steps. Nursing care insurance will be stabilized “in the short term,” but this is “not yet a reform,” said Schmidt. “We now have to address the other structural problems,” said Schmidt. »In the next step, financial equalization between private and statutory nursing care insurance must be implemented.
Financial equalization and care cap
The SPD politician indicated that her group wanted to change the draft bill from the cabinet through the parliamentary process. In addition to financial equalization, the Social Democrats had also called for a “care cap” that would protect those in need of care and their families from further increases in their own contributions. The goal is long-term care insurance "that is permanently financed through solidarity and that those in need of care, their relatives and employees can rely on," said Schmidt.
After long negotiations, the Union and the SPD agreed on a compromise on care reform. Some austerity measures are planned; Among other things, an increase in the contribution assessment limit for nursing care insurance by 300 euros per month and an increase in the premium surcharge for childless people by 0.3 percentage points to 0.9 percent. A surcharge of 0.52 percentage points will also be levied in the future for spouses who have previously been co-insured without paying contributions. The general contribution rate should remain stable at 3.6 percent.
However, a more profound structural reform has been postponed until next year. A commission will now first submit proposals, which will then be implemented legislatively by mid-2027.
Rehlinger sees “business as usual” instead of reform
Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) criticized the cabinet decision. “Unfortunately, this isn’t a reform, it’s just business as usual,” she told the Rheinische Post. The CDU in the federal government has "prevented relief in care costs for the time being," she said. "That's not how you create a reform that really helps people and is accepted."
At least there remains “a small hope that the planned commission will then come to different results,” added Rehlinger. »The central goal of a reform must be to reduce care costs instead of increasing them. This requires the courage to carry out real structural reforms.«
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Social Democratic Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig also criticized the black-red coalition's compromise. “Unfortunately, today’s result on care is not a reform,” she judged, similar to her party colleagues. Schwesig called for a "real reform that relieves the burden on families and doesn't burden them further." To achieve this, the reform must take greater account of her party's core demands: a care cap and financial equalization between private and statutory insurance.
Schwesig particularly held Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz responsible and accused him of slowing down real reform. “Mr. Merz has learned nothing from the elections and is unfortunately hoping to continue like this,” criticized the SPD politician.
Criticism from the Greens and the Left
The Greens criticize the government coalition's agreement on care reform as inadequate. The agreement is “again just an agreement on the lowest common denominator,” said Green Party co-leader Britta Haßelmann to the dpa news agency. “Real structural reforms” would be “outsourced to a commission again.”
The Left Party accused the SPD of giving in to the CDU. "Today the cabinet decided on a care reform that largely remains exactly as Health Minister Linnemann wanted it," said Left party leader Sören Pellmann to the AFP news agency. "The SPD's central demand for private nursing care insurance to be involved is off the table and has been moved to a commission that is supposed to develop proposals by January," criticized Pellmann. “But the cuts are already in effect now.”
