Government officials are addressing the ongoing debate surrounding rising resident contributions to nursing homes, emphasizing the existing structure of Germany’s care insurance system and advocating for measures to limit escalating costs.
Thorsten Frei, Minister at the Chancellery and a representative of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), highlighted that the care insurance program, established in the 1990s, functions as a “partial benefit system”. This means it’s not designed to cover all conceivable expenses associated with long-term care.
Frei underscored the continued importance of private provisions for potential care needs, reflecting the impact of demographic shifts resulting in a growing population requiring care. He noted a concerning trend in recent years, where the ratio of individuals needing care has significantly outpaced the number of contributing members, further straining the insurance system.
“This means that the deficit within care insurance will undoubtedly continue to rise” Frei stated. “Therefore, it is unavoidable to limit the costs of care – wherever possible”. He cautioned that relying solely on pension funds to cover substantial nursing home expenses – citing an unrealistic benchmark of €3,000 – is simply not a sustainable prospect for most individuals.
