The SPD parliamentary group does not plan to fully support the proposed reforms put forward by Health Minister Warken in their current form. During an interview with RTL and ntv, SPD Deputy Group Chair Dagmar Schmidt replied to whether her party would simply accept the plans, stating, “No, of course not”. While acknowledging that “there are many good things in it, much of which we also share” she noted that “there are areas where we feel the proposals are simply not yet balanced in the way we would prefer to see them”.
Schmidt positively assessed the approach of linking expenditures more closely to revenue. She stated, “What we share is that we fundamentally want an expenditure policy oriented around revenue”. However, she pointed out that Germany operates “one of the most expensive systems in the world, the most expensive in the European Union, without having more than an average quality of care for the people”. She said they aim to tap into “incredible efficiency reserves”. Therefore, she added, “We do not want insured individuals to be further burdened or to see their benefits cut”-this is where the SPD sees an “imbalance”.
At the same time, Schmidt emphasized that savings are necessary, but they must not come at the expense of the insured. She stated that “everyone will have to contribute” referring to the “outpatient areas, the inpatient areas, and the pharmaceutical industry”. Because insured people have paid “many billions in recent years to cover cost increases” she believes it is unreasonable for the insured to be pressured now through service cuts or additional burdens. According to her, there are enough alternatives: “The commission’s proposals are so broad and diverse that we also have alternative options”.
