Oliver Blatt, the Chairman of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance (GKV-Spitzenverband), is calling on both the federal government and the states to increase their financial contributions to ease the burden on the long-term care insurance system.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, Blatt stated that the care insurance is facing its greatest test since its introduction 31 years ago. He pointed out that the federal states have thus far been hesitant to cover the investment costs associated with nursing homes. According to his calculation, if the states met this responsibility, every resident in a nursing home could immediately receive an average monthly reduction of about 500 euros. Blatt insisted that this represents an area where immediate help is necessary, and the states must take action.
Addressing the federal government, Blatt criticized the trend of shifting non-insurance-related costs onto the mandatory contributors. He highlighted that the federal government still has an outstanding COVID-related debt of five billion euros owed to the care insurance, and he noted that the federal government currently does not contribute anything toward the pension contributions of caregiving relatives. Combined, Blatt calculated that the federal government owes the care insurance system approximately ten billion euros in the current year alone.
In the face of proposed reforms put forth by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), the GKV Chairman warned that the situation is extremely difficult. He explained that the care insurance must spend more money than it collects, and the contributions from the residents themselves have reached a tipping point. Blatt stressed that the care insurance is a central pillar of social security, and the immediate goal must be to preserve its operational capacity and its affordability.
Minister Warken plans to submit a draft law for a care reform by mid-May. While she recently made it clear that the care insurance provides only “partial coverage” and cannot cover all costs of long-term care, she estimated that the overall deficit for 2027 and 2028 will amount to a combined 22.5 billion euros.