Before the German Experts’ Commission on statutory health insurance presents its report and reform proposals on Monday, the German Red Cross (DRK) warns that cost‑cutting measures could ultimately lead to higher expenses.
DRK President Hermann Gröhe told the “Tagesspiegel” that the organisation will actively participate in the discussion on health‑care changes. He cautioned against short‑term savings that might trigger long‑term overspending, stressing the need for more-not less-prevention to avoid illnesses where possible.
A decline in home care will mean more people turning to early, long‑term institutional care. Gröhe said the social state now faces rising challenges: an increasing elderly and care‑dependent population, widespread loneliness, and the ongoing task of integrating migrants.
At a time of persistent economic weakness, financial resources are limited. Thus, the social state must become more precisely targeted and efficient, for example by reducing bureaucracy and accelerating digitisation. Gröhe welcomed that the Social State Commission is already addressing demands raised by welfare organisations.
In conversations with the Chancellor, welfare organisations have insisted that they need to be adequately involved in consultations on comprehensive social‑state reform, arguing that they play a crucial role in shaping policy on the ground. As Gröhe added, the usual cabinet or parliamentary hearings are insufficient for fundamental changes.
