During discussions regarding the nursing care reform, the Federal Association of Employers’ Associations (BDA) is advocating for the introduction of a phased waiting period before benefits from the Nursing Care Insurance can be received. According to BDA General Managing Director Steffen Kampeter, benefits must primarily benefit those individuals who require particularly long and intensive care. He praised Health Minister Carsten Linnemann for taking this approach.
Kampeter further demanded that benefits should generally commence after a “phased waiting period.” Additionally, he argued that the benefit supplement covering care-related co-payments in homes should be concentrated on people who receive care in facilities for longer than 24 months.
Kampeter welcomed the statements made by Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) regarding a target of a ten percent reduction in the expenditures of the Nursing Care Insurance. He stated that Minister Linnemann was being frank, adding that anyone who ignores the challenge is not acting in the best interests of people who rely on care. He stressed that the pressure to act is “considerable,” pointing out that the Nursing Care Insurance faces a deficit of nearly eight billion euros next year. He concluded that only through immediate reform could the “political and economic insolvency” of this insurance be prevented.
