Kommunen: Pflegereform: Städtetag fordert Umbau zur Vollversicherung

The German State Association (Deutscher Städtetag) advocates for the transformation of the care insurance system into a full insurance scheme. According to Städtetag President Burkhard Jung from the SPD, this would prevent people who have worked hard their entire lives from falling into social welfare due to care costs. For municipal budgets, such a transition would be "a relief in billions every year."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had announced in July that the reform of care insurance would be placed on the autumn agenda. The Care Reform Act aims to stabilize the finances of the care insurance to cover billion-dollar gaps and avoid general contribution increases. This is all part of a budget-cutting package. The Städtetag also calls for limiting the burden on residents in nursing homes.

Jung suggested setting a ceiling for out-of-pocket expenses based on income, similar to the approach proposed by Saarland's Minister-President Anke Rehlinger (SPD) of letting out-of-pocket expenses exceed 1,500 euros. The federal government, the states, and the municipalities would have to jointly fund the ceiling. The growing financial burden on cities and communities was also a driving force behind the proposal, said Jung.

"With a deficit of 30 billion euros per year, the municipalities are completely up against the wall." However, they would have to step in if seniors could no longer afford nursing home fees themselves. In Leipzig, costs for "care assistance" have risen by 300 percent in five years. Especially in the East, fewer and fewer people can afford their own contributions.

"The social welfare office cannot become the regular financing of care," the report continues. Reasons for the rising care costs include higher personnel and operational costs, inflation, and the increasing number of people in need of care. There are now over 6 million such individuals. The draft law for the new system was initially presented by former Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), but now Carsten Linnemann (CDU) is heading the ministry. Warken had previously opposed full insurance.