Andreas Storm, the CEO of the health insurance fund DAK Gesundheit, has called on the federal government to postpone the planned Nursing Care Reform. Speaking to Spiegel, Storm argued that the current draft legislation must be put aside and completely overhauled. He suggested that the government should redefine the nursing care reform in the summer, running it concurrently with changes to the pension reform.
Storm warned that the proposed cuts to contributions paid by family members would cost the pension fund €1.8 billion every year, necessitating a rise in the general pension contribution. Furthermore, the planned reductions in stationary care cover would effectively shift the financial burden onto local municipalities. The health insurance chief cautioned that these changes would force a large number of care recipients to become dependent on social welfare. He stated that under the current reform proposal, the question would no longer be whether 50 percent of stationary care recipients would fall into social assistance, but merely when it would happen.
The current legislative draft, championed by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), is designed to prevent contribution increases by introducing spending brakes and generating additional income streams. While the Nursing Care Reform is scheduled for a cabinet agenda item next Monday, sources within the government suggest that doubts exist regarding whether the established timetable can truly be maintained.
