The head of the AOK Federal Association, Carola Reimann, has voiced strong opposition to potential benefit cuts within Germany’s care insurance system, advocating instead for increased financial support from the federal budget.
Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Reimann emphasized the pressing need for the federal government to reimburse the care insurance system for expenditures exceeding five billion euros accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reimbursement, she stated, would provide a crucial respite for the system’s finances. She criticized the current federal budget planning, describing its proposed provisional funding as “insufficient.
Looking towards long-term financial stability, Reimann suggested several adjustments. She proposed that the federal government cover pension insurance contributions for caregivers and the care insurance contributions associated with training costs through taxation. Further, she indicated the necessity of an increase in the contribution allowance for recipients of citizen’s income and the securing of the care provision fund through a federal grant. Reimann believes these measures alone would allow care insurance funds to regain financial stability, averting the need for reductions in services provided to those requiring care.