Pflege-Streit: Langes Ringen um geplante Pflegereform

The coalition of Union and SPD spent several days negotiating the details of the planned healthcare reform, which aimed to prevent further contribution increases in care in the coming year. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) emphasized the need for structural changes, stating that the reform should not be a pure spending cut package.

However, SPD leaders, such as Matthias Miersch (SPD), rejected a "pure cutting package" and demanded structural changes instead. Klingbeil, in turn, stated that he hoped for a quick agreement. The discussions were intense, with differing interests in the costs for care home residents and their families. The SPD proposed a care allowance, while the Union rejected it as a "grasping at someone else's pockets."

The Union also opposed the idea of additional funding from the federal government, arguing that the money was not available and that they needed to look for ways to save in the care system. The reform package would see the postponement of 2022 introduced performance bonuses for residents of care homes, which would alleviate the increasing co-payments in the long term.

The cost of the reform would be covered by a reduction in the care system's deficit of 4.4 billion Euros in the current year and an additional 10 billion Euros needed for 2027.