Bayern calls for increased funds allocation from the federal government for long-term care insurance. - Bavaria advocates for increased federal financial assistance for nursing insurance
In a bid to address the growing challenges in long-term care, Germany is proposing comprehensive reforms to its insurance system. The proposed changes aim to create sustainable financing mechanisms, implement structural reforms, and potentially enhance the role of municipalities in care provision.
The German Health Minister, Warken, has highlighted the urgency of addressing the structural financing problems in statutory health insurance (SHI) and long-term care insurance. A transitional financing approach includes pro rata financing of hospital transformation funds from special infrastructure funds, aiming to reduce the burden on SHI by approximately 2.5 billion euros annually over the next decade starting in 2026. However, this transitional financing is seen as insufficient in the long term, indicating the need for deeper reforms and sustainable financing models that balance income and expenditure.
While the search results do not provide explicit details on the role of municipalities in long-term care insurance reform, the framing of hospital transformation funding as a societal task beyond just contributors suggests potential expanding responsibilities for local governments in infrastructure and care provision. This aligns with broader discussions on involving municipalities in healthcare and social services management to increase efficiency and tailored local support.
The Minister has also stressed the importance of effective structural reforms to complement financing changes. Although specific deregulation measures are not detailed in the sources, the overall reform agenda implies revisiting regulatory frameworks that govern long-term care insurance to enhance sustainability and adaptability to demographic challenges.
An expert commission tasked with stabilizing contribution rates for SHI by 2027 is also expected to address long-term care insurance financing. The minister has mandated faster results, with a federal-state working group on long-term care insurance scheduled to meet and provide outcomes by the end of 2025, indicating a high-priority, accelerated reform process.
The Diakonie, a prominent social welfare organization in Germany, has also voiced its opinions on the matter. Elke Ronneberger, federal spokeswoman for social policy of Diakonie Germany, has called for the involvement of municipalities in the care reform. The Diakonie has proposed preventive home visits for people from the age of 75 as a measure to develop tailored assistance. They also suggest financing insurance-foreign services, such as pension insurance contributions for caring relatives, from tax funds in the short term.
However, the reform process is not without controversy. There are demands for restrictions on the services of the long-term care insurance, such as a waiting period in which the costs must be borne by the affected persons alone, from the Union and employer associations. Associations and trade unions warn against connecting the planned reform with performance cuts and call for a stronger financial participation of the federal government and the states.
The Diakonie has also called for a "real care reform" and proposes a full care insurance with limited own contribution. They call for an increase in the contribution assessment limit to strengthen the financial basis of the long-term care insurance in the long term.
The German long-term care system is facing efficiency and capability issues due to a rising number of people in need of care. The temporary debt-financed support of the long-term care insurance does not solve the financing problem but only postpones it into the future, according to the SHI. The Federal Court of Auditors reports a financing gap of 12.3 billion euros in care funds by 2029.
As the working group begins its work, it is a good signal for the millions of people in need of care. The SHI has offered its support and cooperation to the working group. However, the path to a sustainable and efficient long-term care insurance system in Germany is fraught with challenges and requires careful consideration and collaboration from all stakeholders.
- In EC countries, discussions on long-term care reform mirror Germany's efforts, with a focus on vocational training to enhance the workforce's capability in healthcare and social services, contributing to workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness.
- To complement these structural reforms, advocates propose incorporating mental-health literacy and therapies-and-treatments in vocational training programs, aiming to promote mental health and wellness among care providers.
- Additionally, nutrition education and fitness-and-exercise modules can be integrated into these training curricula, thus promoting personal-finance management, education-and-self-development, and career-development opportunities for caregivers.
- In tandem, businesses are urged to champion workplace-wellness initiatives, providing additional support structures for employees involved in long-term care, including financial assistance, flexible working arrangements, and comprehensive employee benefits packages.
- Simultaneously, policy-makers should encourage municipalities to leverage sports facilities for rehabilitation and recuperation activities for long-term care recipients, fostering an overall healthier and more engaged community.
- To ensure that these changes are sustainable, it is essential to allocate resources to these initiatives from various funding sources, including federal, state, and local budgets, as well as non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
- In summary, a comprehensive approach to long-term care reform should encompass vocational training, workplace-wellness, mental health, nutrition, fitness, business, personal finance, education, and career development, rallying support from all stakeholders, including municipalities, businesses, and NGOs, to create a more efficient and capable long-term care system.
