Amid the recent proposals to overhaul Germany’s health system, Green Party member Ricarda Lang and Left Party politician Gregor Gysi urged a stronger focus on social justice and better preventive care.
On Monday Lang appeared on the television channel NTV and said she was generally prepared to support the chancellor’s reforms, but only if they are “the right ones – those that are also fair”. She criticised the current proposals for targeting people with a normal income in a way that ultimately leaves those with less even poorer. “I’m not willing to support reforms that further disadvantage those already struggling” she added. Lang also pointed out that some measures were headed in the wrong direction; for example, if the contribution‑free co‑insurance – which is slated for elimination – were to remain, it would become a “total burden” for families with low incomes.
Gysi called for targeted relief for families and a renewed emphasis on prevention. He noted that if health insurance funds covered screenings promptly – such as for early cancer detection – treatment costs would be significantly lower, saying “we need to rethink our approach”. He advocated for a comprehensive reform commission that would take into account the interconnections between health, labour and family policy. Gysi also criticized Chancellor Merz’s stance, describing it as looking “only downwards, never upwards” and pointed out that such a perspective would mean wealthy families would pay less tax than they already do in Switzerland.
