The Centre Party (CDA) is demanding a frank discussion regarding the cost structures of the statutory health insurance system. CDA federal chairman Dennis Radtke stated to Funke’s media group that cost problems must not ultimately be pushed onto healthcare workers themselves. Radtke warned that if wage increases are not fully refinanced in the future, it will create pressure on hospitals, potentially hitting staffing levels, working conditions, and wage development.
This concern follows warnings from hospital representatives who cautioned about significant expected losses in hospital revenues in the coming years, projecting that cost reductions would necessitate rapid personnel savings.
Radtke called for a clean solution to these financial issues, which must also address the funding of the Citizen’s Basic Income (Bürgergeld). He argued that it is unsustainable for premium payers to permanently cover purely societal tasks. Consequently, Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) was urged to present a clear implementation plan demonstrating how the costs associated with Bürgergeld recipients could be entirely covered by federal tax revenues throughout the remainder of the election period.
The federal cabinet recently approved the draft law for the health insurance reform. A key point of disagreement within the governing coalition is precisely who bears the costs for Bürgergeld recipients. Currently, these costs are covered by statutory health insurance members, although Radtke feels this provision is not implemented quickly enough.
While existing legislation stipulates that federal subsidies for these services will increase gradually-initially by 250 million euros annually for two years, escalating to 500 million euros annually starting in 2029-the required total sum of 12 billion euros is projected only to be fully covered by the federal government as late as 2051.
