North Rhine-Westphalia Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann has called on his federal colleague, Nina Warken (both CDU), to make revisions to the planned reform of the statutory health insurance system. While he welcomes the spending approach focused on taking in revenue, Laumann argues for securing more funding to support benefit recipients.
According to a nine-page statement from the NRW Ministry to the Federal Ministry, Laumann points out that regional governments have consistently highlighted for years that the basic security recipients require supplementary financing from the federal government. The ministry stresses that contributions cannot adequately cover original state tasks within the scope of the statutory health insurance contributions, and thus, proposed spending cuts are viewed as unbalanced and insufficient.
The proposal regarding the transfer of free supplementary coverage for spouses to civil servants also drew criticism. Concerning the mandatory contributions for spouses, the statement suggests that any changes implemented in the statutory health insurance that are not equally enforceable in the assistance law must be reconsidered. He advocates for an assessment of how the two systems could be better aligned. Currently, Warken intends to limit supplementary coverage for patients who are covered by insurance; moving forward, those who are not employed (and are not caring for children or relatives) would be required to pay 3.5 percent of their partner’s income.
Furthermore, Laumann criticized the proposed reduction in sickness benefits. The ministry’s letter states that the five percentage point cut to standard sickness benefits is concerning. It notes that insured individuals who exit standard salary continuation and rely on sickness allowances are typically suffering from serious illnesses. Therefore, Laumann recommends that the federal government first wait and observe the practical effects of partial work incapacity.