Christos Pantazis, the SPD Parliamentary Group’s health policy spokesperson, has publicly indicated openness to raising the long-term care insurance contribution for individuals who do not have children. He told newspapers of the Funke media group that the social long-term care insurance system is facing substantial financial challenges, necessitating an open discussion about how to achieve a sustainable and equitable long-term funding model. Pantazis stated that discussing various levers, including increasing the contribution for childless people, is legitimate.
During the ongoing care reform led by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), the contribution rate for people without children could potentially rise by 0.1 percentage points, reaching 0.7 percent. According to Pantazis, different calculations on potential additional revenue from a higher contribution for childless individuals put the annual earnings in the low to mid-single-digit billions of euros. He noted that while such a measure could contribute to stabilization, it would not replace the need for comprehensive structural reform.
The SPD politician added that financing care insurance is a responsibility shared by society as a whole. He emphasized that no single measure would be enough to resolve the systemic financial issues. A crucial component of this broader effort must be establishing a fairer balance between the social long-term care insurance and private care obligation insurance.
