Health
Care reform takes the last hurdle in the Federal Council
A nurse in outpatient care: The needy should be relieved in the future. photo
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
Care is getting more and more expensive for millions of people. After a long dispute, however, a reform is to come and take countermeasures. The law should take effect in just over two weeks.
The care reform with higher contributions on July 1st and relief for those in need of care is coming. The Bundesrat passed the law passed by the Bundestag.
The plan by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is intended to financially secure long-term care insurance until 2025 in view of rising costs. The care contribution is to be increased by 0.35 percentage points, and even more for people without children. At the beginning of 2024, people in need of care should get more money at home and in the home. That’s not enough for the opposition and social organizations.
The reform of the traffic light coalition is intended to mobilize an additional 6.6 billion euros per year for care – after annual expenditure had recently grown to almost 60 billion euros. Approval in the state chamber is considered safe. The Federal Council’s health committee recommends letting the law pass and not calling the mediation committee.
An overview of key points:
care at home
The nursing allowance, which was last increased in 2017, is to rise by five percent on January 1, 2024, as will the amounts for benefits in kind. Care allowance is intended to support those in need of care who do not live in institutions. You can use it freely, for example for care. Depending on the level of care, it is currently between 316 and 901 euros per month. Around four million people are cared for at home.
care in the home
Relief surcharges for residents introduced at the beginning of 2022 are to be increased by January 1, 2024. The personal contribution for pure care should be reduced by 15 instead of the previous 5 percent in the first year in the home, by 30 instead of 25 percent in the second year, by 50 instead of 45 percent and from the fourth year by 75 instead of 70 percent. The background to this is that nursing care insurance – unlike health insurance – only bears part of the costs for pure nursing care. In the home, there are also payments for accommodation, food and investments in the facilities.
Posts I
The care contribution is currently 3.05 percent of the gross wage, for people without children it is 3.4 percent. It is to be increased on July 1, in combination with changes due to a judgment by the Federal Constitutional Court. Accordingly, a distinction must be made more according to whether one has children or not. All in all, the contribution for childless people should rise to 4 percent and for those who pay contributions with one child to 3.4 percent. The employer’s contribution contained therein is now to be increased from 1.525 percent to 1.7 percent.
Posts II
In concrete terms, the care contribution for larger families is to be reduced more significantly for the duration of the upbringing phase up to the 25th birthday of the child in question – gradually for each child. From two children would have to be paid – based on the employee share of currently 1.525 percent – less than today.
With two children, the employee share should be 1.45 percent in the future, with three children 1.2 percent, with four children 0.95 percent and with five or more children 0.7 percent. If a child is older than 25 years, “his” deduction does not apply. If all the children are out of the child-rearing period, the one-child contribution applies permanently, even if you are retired.
annual budget
As a relief for care at home, a new budget is to bundle preventive and short-term care services – so that care is secured if relatives cannot do it. From July 1, 2025, up to 3539 euros per year can be used flexibly, and without a previous lead time of six months for the first use. For parents of children in need of care up to the age of 25 with care level 4 or 5, the budget should be available from January 1, 2024 with 3386 euros and then increase to up to 3539 euros by July 2025.
dynamization
Two tiers are also envisaged to further increase all cash and in-kind benefits. On January 1, 2025, there should now be an increase of 4.5 percent instead of the initially thought 5 percent – in return for the budget that was still recorded. On January 1, 2028, the benefits are to increase based on the inflation rate of the three previous years.