Without the planned reform, the long-term care insurance deficit would amount to 2.4 billion euros this year. This is what the newspapers of the Bayern media group reported on Thursday, citing a response from the federal government to a request from the left-wing faction. The reason for the higher deficit is the continued strong increase in the number of people in need of care. Last year the deficit was 2.25 billion euros.
The reform plans of Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) will result in “additional income of around 3.1 billion euros” through increases in contributions, according to the report in the answer from the federal government. A deficit would therefore be avoided. However, the surplus of 700 million euros would not be enough to meet the statutory reserve target.
billion deficit without reform
According to the report, the left-wing faction criticizes a difficult to understand estimate by the federal government with regard to the billion deficit without reform. The left-wing spokesman for hospital and nursing care policy, Ates Gürpinar, accuses the government of simplistic calculations. “It is irresponsible that the federal government is praising the care reform instead of finally getting sustainable financing of care on the way,” said Gürpinar of the Bayern media group.
He also criticized the likely failure to meet the reserve target. “The figures from the federal government make it clear that there will definitely be a minus in long-term care insurance by next year at the latest,” he said. “Already this year, the reserve target will not be met, which means that the federal government is running with its eyes wide open into this catastrophe in nursing care insurance.”
The government coalition’s long-term care support and relief law provides for an increase in the long-term care insurance contribution rates from 3.05 to 3.4 percent of gross wages as of July 1. In the case of childless people, the contribution is to increase from 3.4 percent to four percent. At the same time, the services for caring relatives are to be improved.
