Oliver Blatt, the newly appointed head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband), has voiced sharp criticism of the federal government’s social policy, asserting a lack of tangible reform. In remarks to the “Handelsblatt” newspaper, Blatt stated that healthcare appears to be a secondary priority within the Chancellor’s Office, despite recent announcements from Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) regarding a planned “autumn of reforms.
Blatt cautioned about potentially severe consequences for the statutory health insurance system, warning that without proactive political reforms, the GKV is on a trajectory towards significant financial difficulties. He specifically called for a legally mandated expenditure limit, requiring health insurance funds to operate within their income and a shift in funding responsibility for non-insurance related benefits – such as health insurance contributions for recipients of citizen’s allowance – to the state. Experts estimate such a change could alleviate the financial burden on the GKV by approximately ten billion euros annually.
Beyond financial adjustments, Blatt emphasized the necessity of structural reforms within the healthcare sector itself. He advocates for increased consolidation of services and a greater emphasis on digitalization within hospitals, aiming to reduce costs and simultaneously improve the quality of care. Blatt warned that without these comprehensive reforms, supplemental insurance contributions could exceed three percent by early 2026.