Jens Baas, head of the Techniker Krankenkasse, anticipates that contributions to the Long-Term Care Insurance system will increase, despite the planned reforms. Furthermore, he stated in an interview with “Politico’s” newsletter “Gesundheit” that federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) must address the matter again if he wishes to guarantee stable premiums in the Statutory Health Insurance system.
Baas noted that an aging society and the rising number of people requiring care make future contribution increases a realistic possibility. However, the head of the fund stressed that these insurance premiums should not rise indefinitely and must remain reasonably proportionate to the services provided by the care insurance.
To provide relief to the Long-Term Care Insurance, Baas proposed that the federal government reimburse the six billion euros it withheld from the care funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also suggested that savings could be achieved by reviewing the monthly subsidies for consumable medical aids.
Supporting Linnemann’s stance, Baas opposed any attempts to cut pensions for caregivers. The original draft of the care reform planned a 30 percent reduction in retirement contributions for care workers, which would have saved approximately 7.8 billion euros over four years. According to Baas, maintaining the entitlement to pensions for caregivers is sensible, as caring often requires individuals to reduce their professional commitments. He asserted that paying these pension contributions is the responsibility of the state, not the care insurance payers, and that the ongoing care reform presents a timely opportunity to finance these pension entitlements through the federal budget.
Regarding the Statutory Health Insurance, Baas stated that even after the recent July health reform, the system is “far from a guarantee for stable premiums.” He assessed the likelihood of stable contributions at only 50:50. This uncertainty stems from the fact that spending in the first half of the year rose more steeply than initially predicted. Consequently, he concluded that any party seeking to guarantee stable premiums must implement additional measures.
