The Sozialverband Deutschland (SoVD), a prominent social welfare association, is advocating for increased government funding to bolster both the health and long-term care insurance systems. Michaela Engelmeier, the organization’s chair, emphasized the significant challenges facing the current government, attributing them to demographic shifts and a lack of substantial reforms in recent decades.
Engelmeier stressed the urgency of addressing services currently funded through general taxation, deeming them crucial for the stability of the social security systems. She further highlighted the need for structural overhauls to ensure long-term viability.
Regarding health insurance, Engelmeier proposed a comprehensive “citizen’s insurance” model to strengthen the financial base, enhance performance and secure future resilience. Similarly, she called for the evolution of the existing long-term care insurance into a full “citizen’s care insurance” ensuring complete coverage for care needs. This model would operate on principles of solidarity, distributing costs according to individual capacity and limiting individual contributions in the interim.
The call for increased funding and reform echoes concerns already voiced by Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken (CDU), who has specifically advocated for greater budgetary allocations to both health and long-term care insurance. Minister Warken has also expressed concern over rising costs associated with residential care within the long-term care system, suggesting a need to cap that increase.
