The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is urging Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) to get the savings package for the statutory health insurers approved by the Bundestag before the summer recess.
Christos Pantazis, the SPD’s health policy spokesperson, told “Der Spiegel” that the parliamentary process should progress swiftly but with due care. He stated that the legislation should reach a third reading in the last sitting week of July and be completed “before the summer break”.
Warken was more cautious during the Monday presentation of the commission’s findings. She said she aims to present the reform to the cabinet no later than July; the earliest realistic date for a Bundestag vote would be in the fall. Pantazis said that speed should not compromise quality, yet the target is to reach “rapid, viable and consensual solutions”. While the ministry has yet to publish a timetable, the coalition will enter political negotiations “immediately after Easter”.
The commission released 66 proposals on Monday, which could save up to 42 billion euros in 2027. The statutory health insurers face a deficit of 15.3 billion euros for the coming year.
On Tuesday, Warken reiterated her commitment to pass a large savings package of 40 billion euros. “We need to hit the savings figure necessary to keep contributions stable” she told RTL and ntv. “This year alone requires over 15 billion euros. But we must also keep contributions stable in the following years”.
She explained that the package must cover at least the 2027 fiscal gap and have a lasting impact. “People need to rely on stable contributions and plan with certainty” she said. “If we look at the projected 40 billion‑euro hole in the statutory health system by 2030, and we want to close that gap to keep contributions stable through 2030, the savings measures must reach that volume”.
Some measures will produce immediate effects, while others will gradually take hold and only show impact in later years. “We have to bear in mind that we want stable contributions until 2030, and we have to close that gap by 2030” the minister concluded.
