Carsten Linnemann, the party secretary for the CDU, suggested that the number of health insurance funds in Germany should be drastically reduced by implementing a minimum size requirement for continued operation. Speaking to the “Welt” on Thursday, Linnemann exemplified this by suggesting that a minimum membership of 500,000 or 750,000 could be set for any health insurance fund. He added that the transition would require implementing grace periods, possibly five years, clarifying that the change would not happen overnight. Nevertheless, Linnemann stated his desire to move beyond mere debate and achieve tangible changes.