Nursing care insurance
Financial hole in care – contributions could rise more sharply
Nursing care insurance is in financial trouble. According to the forecast, there is a lack of 1.4 billion euros this year and 3.4 billion euros next year. (archive image) photo
© Oliver Berg/dpa
A report about an impending bankruptcy of the nursing care insurance is causing a stir. The focus is on the contributions. It is likely to become more expensive for those insured next year.
When asked repeatedly by journalists, he did not provide any details about possible increases in the contribution rate. It cannot be denied that nursing care insurance is currently under “contribution rate pressure,” the SPD politician simply said. Lauterbach had already indicated higher contribution rates for health and nursing care insurance for the coming year at the end of August.
“Emergency operation” on the nursing care insurance
A report from the editorial network Germany (RND) previously caused a stir in Berlin. As a result, the traffic light coalition is working feverishly on an emergency operation due to the financial situation of the nursing care insurance. The RND, citing coalition circles, continued to write that there was a risk of insolvency. Lauterbach said: “The nursing care insurance is not insolvent, nor is it threatened with insolvency.”
The federal government guarantees that those in need of care and their relatives can continue to rely on the long-term care insurance to pay for the care and cover the services. But now it has to be clarified where the money will come from and how much the contributors will be asked to pay for it.
The coalition had already implemented the first care reform. It brought relief for those in need of care in terms of the contributions they have to pay in the home, but also a higher contribution: for people without children it rose to 4 percent in mid-2023 and to 3.4 percent for contributors with one child. Families with at least two children now pay less – based on the employee share – than before.
Billions are missing
But the financial problems of the nursing care insurance remained. The Ministry of Health now justifies this, among other things, with this previous reform, which significantly relieved the burden on those in need of care in homes, and also with the fact that there are more people in need of care than expected. According to Lauterbach, 360,000 people were added last year, and this year we expect additional people in need of care. In addition, wages in nursing have increased.
The umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies (GKV), which also represents the nursing care funds, had already forecast a loss of 1.5 billion euros this year and 3.4 billion euros next year. Mathematically, this would correspond to a contribution increase of 0.2 points next year. According to the RND, the government is now assuming a need for an increase of 0.25 to 0.3 points. The leading association of health insurance companies also corrected upwards to 0.25 percentage points on Monday. If other reforms do not occur, at least this much is necessary to ensure the solvency of long-term care insurance.
Increase also expected in health insurance contributions
As has been known for some time, health insurance contributions are also expected to rise next year. The National Association of Health Insurance Funds is talking about at least 0.6 percentage points; according to the RND it could also be 0.7. Together with the nursing care insurance plus, up to 1 percent more deductions? With a gross amount of 3,000 euros, that would roughly be 15 euros less net per month (the employer pays the other 15 euros) – so calculated over the year, 180 euros less.
More details will only become clear in the coming weeks. Every autumn, a committee of experts – the so-called group of estimators – makes a forecast of the financial development of the health insurance companies and a possible average increase in contributions.
Tax money instead of higher contributions?
The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds called for immediate measures to avert an increase in contribution rates for long-term care insurance. The insurance company had to spend around 5.3 billion euros additionally during the corona pandemic, for example on tests or bonuses for staff – the state left them alone and now has to make up for it. In addition, the nursing care fund should not have to pay pension contributions for caring relatives; this should also be financed from federal funds.
According to the association’s calculations, both steps could raise around nine billion euros. But they can’t just be pulled out of a hat either. The traffic light would have to make a political decision to mobilize such sums elsewhere – and this in a budget in which there are already problems everywhere. “There is no time to lose now. The traffic light coalition must immediately explain where the money will come from,” said Eugen Brysch, board member of the German Patient Protection Foundation.