Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has dismissed calls for an expansion of the long-term care insurance system into a comprehensive coverage model.
Speaking to newspapers belonging to the “Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft” and the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” Warken stated she does not support transitioning the current system, established in 1995 as a partial insurance, into a full coverage model. The call for such a change has been voiced repeatedly by unions, social organizations and, notably, the CSU party. Currently, the insurance system covers only a portion of the costs associated with long-term care.
However, the minister expressed openness to a proposal from the coalition partner, the SPD, which aims to cap the monthly financial contributions of residents in nursing homes. This concept is currently being explored within the federal-state commission “Future Pact Care” with results expected by the end of the year. Warken indicated she is “very excited” to see the commission’s findings and stated she is “open to the idea, if it is implementable”.