Ramona Pop, the chief consumer protection officer for the Federal Consumer Center Association (VZBV), continues to urge further consultation within the red-black coalition regarding the reform of care insurance. According to her comments to the “Rheinische Post”, she welcomed the coalition’s deliberations to re-evaluate the care reform, calling it a necessary and proper response to the increasing erosion of public trust in the political system’s ability to act.
Pop expressed support for the Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) threat to block the cabinet resolution scheduled for Wednesday. She criticized the prevailing draft of the Care Ordering Act (PNOG), stating that it is solely founded on the logic of the Social Care Insurance (SPV). While this framework may secure the immediate solvency of care funds, she stressed that it neither helps in the short nor the long term to make care needs financially manageable. In fact, Pop warned that the federal government’s plans risk weakening the provision of care rather than strengthening it.
She denounced the approach, saying that cutting benefits, shifting costs onto recipients and family members, and delaying central promises made in the coalition agreement-such as limiting co-payments for nursing home residents-is the wrong course of action. Pop criticized the government for merely referring to personal responsibility and private savings, instead of tackling the exploding co-payments in institutional care and the systemic issues in home care.
Furthermore, the Care Ordering Act lacks appropriate priorities. Pop pointed out that necessary federal aid is being eliminated while the repayment of COVID-era debts continues to be ignored. The chief consumer protection officer concluded her remarks by challenging the government to restore public faith in the social state and democratic institutions by attending to the daily concerns of citizens, including the almost six million people who require care, the seven million caregivers, and everyone who may need care in the future.
