The newly appointed head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband), Oliver Blatt, has voiced strong criticism of the federal government’s social policy. In remarks to the “Handelsblatt” business newspaper, Blatt stated he sees no tangible impact from announced social reforms, adding that healthcare appears to be a low priority within the Chancellery. These comments come as Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently signaled an intention to initiate a “Autumn of Reforms”.
Blatt cautioned that without political reform, the statutory health insurance system is on a trajectory towards significant difficulties. He is advocating for a statutory spending cap to oblige health insurance funds to operate within their income and also proposes that costs currently borne by the health insurance system for benefits related to recipients of citizen’s allowance should be transferred to state funding. Experts estimate this shift could relieve the GKV by approximately ten billion euros annually.
Furthermore, Blatt is pushing for structural reforms within the healthcare system itself. He argues that hospitals need to consolidate services and accelerate digitalization to reduce costs and maintain quality. He warned that without comprehensive reforms, supplementary contribution rates could exceed three percent at the beginning of 2026.
