The Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Manuela Schwesig (SPD), has sharply criticized the care reform planned by Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU). Speaking to Politico, Schwesig stated that she considers it a serious mistake for the Federal Health Minister to push a draft law that was not coordinated with the individual states, similar to the previous health reform. She rejects the proposed changes because they exacerbate the burden on those needing care and their families, while simultaneously worsening the conditions for healthcare professionals.
Warken’s proposal aims to generate higher revenues and enact cuts within the long-term care insurance system, initially totaling 11.25 billion euros in 2027. The draft law projects that the annual financial impact of the reform will increase to 20.34 billion euros by 2030.
Shwesig dismisses the initiative, calling it “not a reform, but a burden package”. Her primary criticism is that living residents in facilities and their children are expected to bear increased costs. According to Warken’s plans, care funds would pay lower pension contributions for relatives providing care. This measure is intended to relieve care funds of 1.8 billion euros next year and gradually increase this relief to 2.1 billion euros by 2030.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the average self-contribution required for a placement in a nursing home in the first year is 2,903 euros per month. Schwesig emphasized that this amount is much higher than the state’s elderly pension income. She concluded that a reform which would make care unaffordable is not truly a reform.
Furthermore, Schwesig criticized the planned removal of the link between care provision and paying collective labor agreements or equivalent wages. She argued that this link was carefully introduced to ensure proper compensation in the care sector. For her, care is an essential societal responsibility that must be adequately compensated.
