Nursing is one of the major construction sites in the health system.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The financial situation of long-term care insurance is a long-term care case in itself. Shortly after the federal election, the coffers have to be replenished with a cash injection of one billion euros from taxpayers’ money, because providers are threatened with bankruptcy.
The reason is the pandemic costs, which were expensive for care insurance this year and last year. The central association of statutory health insurances even considers a sum of 1.6 billion euros to be necessary, otherwise some coffers could collapse under their spending as early as November.
No matter how much the long-term care insurances receive in the end, the large amount of money hides the problems, but it does not solve them.
Long-term care insurance will sooner or later face rising expectations, which are reflected in rising spending. It’s not just that the population is getting older – and that is why care per se is gaining in importance.
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Living conditions are also changing. For example, because relatives no longer live next door, but in another city or possibly even in another country and can only look after their loved ones in need of care remotely.
Expensive election promises
In addition, there is a huge shortage of skilled workers and, at the same time, low wages in care for the elderly and a personal contribution for relatives, which is painfully high for many at an average of more than 2,000 euros.
There is therefore a lot of work to be done in the new federal government. One of their central tasks is to fundamentally reform long-term care insurance. However, it must not simply add the tax drip to finance the increasing expenditure, but must also promote company and private provision more.
The outgoing government has also started a reform project, but only achieved a mini-reform. From 2022, a billion-dollar subsidy will automatically flow into the system from the state treasury.
In addition, insured persons without children have to pay a higher contribution. However, at least the statutory health insurance companies doubt that the money will be enough to finance the associated additional expenses such as higher wages and a lower personal contribution.
Some of the parties’ expensive election promises have not yet been priced in – or what is left of them in a new coalition.
More: What the healthcare system will face after the election