Andreas Storm, the chief of the DAK Gesundheit health insurance fund, has called on the black-red coalition to halt the proposed care reform plans put forth by Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken (CDU). Warning that “all known proposals would lead to irreparable damage to the care insurance system” Storm advised “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that a reform moratorium is necessary. He argued that a completely new beginning is needed to establish a sustainable, socially equitable, and feasible overhaul of the system.
Storm specifically criticized Warken’s plans to reduce subsidies provided by the care insurance for residents’ out-of-pocket costs in nursing homes. He warned that the proposals currently under discussion would result in a significantly higher number of people becoming dependent on social welfare. He cautioned that this would exacerbate “care poverty” within institutional settings.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the plans would impose a considerable financial strain on local municipalities. When discussing the proposed halving of pension payments for care workers in ambulatory care, Storm added that this would also cause long-term poverty in the field of home care. Finally, the DAK chief criticized the overall plan for creating a massive financial deficit within the retirement insurance system.
