Criticism of the health levy that the SPD plans to impose on capital income continues unabated. The senior director of the German Institute for Economic Research, Michael Hüther, told the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday edition) that the SPD is approaching the reform debate from the wrong angle. He said the statutory health insurance system does not face a shortfall in revenue but rather a spending problem, and that the root of the issue lies in misaligned incentives and poor management.
Similarly, the head of the statutory health insurers’ umbrella organization-Oliver Blatt, chairman of the GKV‑Spitzenverband-stated that the sickness funds already receive more than one billion euros per day for the care of Germany’s 75 million insured people. He emphasized that this is a substantial amount of money and that efforts should focus on curbing the growth of expenses rather than simply increasing revenues and adding further burdens on the insured.