German North Rhine‑Westphalia Health Minister Karl‑Josef Laumann, a member of the CDU, has opposed the widespread push to raise tobacco and sugar taxes. He told the “Rheinische Post” that “now isn’t the right time to discuss higher taxes” and that more pressing issues-such as stabilising the health system-must be prioritised.
Laumann also called for linking medical and pharmaceutical spending to the revenue trends of statutory health insurers. He explained, “Each year we spend roughly €500 billion on Germany’s health system, and that must be enough. We need a revenue‑oriented spending policy so that doctor fees and pharmaceutical expenditures do not outpace income growth”.
In addition, Laumann cautioned the SPD against expanding statutory health insurance to cover all civil servants. He warned that doing so would place a heavy financial burden on the federal government and, even more so, on the states that employ large numbers of teachers and police officers. “They would have to continue financing treatment costs for retirees while also covering employer contributions for newly hired civil servants” he said. “At present, I can’t see how such a systemic shift could be funded in the states”.
