The Sozialverband Deutschland (SoVD), a prominent social welfare association, is advocating for increased government funding to bolster both the healthcare and long-term care insurance systems. Michaela Engelmeier, the SoVD’s Chairwoman, emphasized the significant challenges facing the current government, stemming from demographic shifts and a history of limited reform.
Engelmeier highlighted the urgent need to address non-insurance related expenses currently funded through taxation. She argued that structural changes are also essential to ensure the long-term stability and efficacy of the healthcare system.
A proposed “citizen’s insurance” model for healthcare is presented as a way to strengthen the financial foundation, improve service delivery and future-proof the system. Similarly, Engelmeier called for the evolution of the existing long-term care insurance into a comprehensive “citizen’s insurance” ensuring complete coverage of care risks and distributing costs according to individual ability to pay. She suggested a temporary cap on individual contribution rates to alleviate immediate financial pressures.
These calls for reform follow recent statements by Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken (CDU), who has also stressed the need for increased budgetary allocations to healthcare and long-term care insurance. Minister Warken specifically addressed the rising co-payments for residential care within the long-term care system, proposing measures to curtail further increases.
