The Green Party is escalating the debate surrounding Germany’s strained care system, proposing a legally binding cap of €1,000 for out-of-pocket expenses in residential care, alongside a significant overhaul of the funding model. According to a policy paper drafted by Green Party representative Simone Fischer and reported by “Stern”, the current trajectory of soaring care costs is rendering the system unsustainable for many in need.
The core of the Green Party’s proposal centers on a transition away from the traditional funding structure, which disproportionately burdens employed individuals and pensioners. Instead, they advocate for a citizen’s insurance model, compelling all income earners – encompassing salaries, self-employment, civil servant status, parliamentary positions, capital gains and rental income – to contribute proportionally to their ability. This represents a fundamental shift in the principle of financial responsibility within the care sector. The party also proposes raising the contribution assessment limit, the current structure of which includes training costs for caregivers within individual expense burdens.
Furthermore, the Greens argue that the cost of caregiver training should be financed through taxation rather than directly impacting those requiring care. The party’s plan extends to relieving the current care insurance system by seeking reimbursement for COVID-related expenses and advocating for the complete reimbursement of pension contributions for family members providing care.
The proposal arrives at a critical juncture, as the current “Future Pact for Care” working group between the federal government and the states nears its conclusion, with the direction of the reform remaining uncertain. Fischer criticized the current governing coalition for failing to establish a “strong, fair and future-proof financing” system. She insists a combination of a fair revenue base for care insurance and a genuine cost cap for those requiring care is not a utopian ideal, but “the only honest way to prevent the system from the next collapse and maintain its stability.
The Green Party’s advocacy throws renewed focus on the deep-seated political challenges of ensuring accessible and affordable care and signals a potentially explosive confrontation with established funding mechanisms and the perceived inequities they perpetuate. The proposal’s success hinges on overcoming significant political resistance and forging a consensus on a model deemed equitable and sustainable by all stakeholders.
