Berlin Home care is becoming more and more expensive. According to an evaluation by the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds (vdek), a nationwide average of 2548 euros per month was due in the first year in a facility – 348 euros more than in mid-2022. Among other things, higher wages for urgently needed nursing staff have an impact. But accommodation, food and drink costs also went up.
On the one hand, the sums include a personal contribution for pure care and support. Unlike health insurance, long-term care insurance only pays part of the costs. For residents of the home, there are also costs for accommodation, meals and investments in the facilities.
The background to the jump in costs is primarily higher personnel expenses. Because since September 2022, all facilities have had to pay nursing staff according to a collective agreement or something similar in order to be able to settle accounts with the nursing care insurance companies.
The black-red previous government had initiated this requirement – also in order to keep and attract nurses in the profession. “We support the measures for fair payment of the nursing staff,” said Jörg Meyers-Middendorf, representative of the board at the substitute health insurance association. However, it cannot be the case that the steadily increasing costs have to be borne largely by those in need of care. “If more and more people can no longer afford to stay in a nursing home, something is going terribly wrong.”
The evaluation of the vdek is based on remuneration agreements between the long-term care insurance funds and homes in all federal states. The data used relates to residents with care grades 2 to 5. The evaluation shows regional differences.
The most expensive care was in the first year in the home in Baden-Württemberg with an average of 2913 euros per month, the lowest was the burden in Saxony-Anhalt with 1994 euros. The nationwide average for accommodation and meals was now 888 euros per month, after 814 euros in mid-2022.
The increase in costs is also due to higher personnel expenses.
(Photo: dpa)
However, this should only moderate the trend in the short term, said Jörg Meyers-Middendorf, representative of the board of the substitute health insurance association. “A solution is needed promptly to provide sustainable relief for those in need of care, which does not only weigh on the backs of the contributors.”
This includes finally obliging the federal states to assume the investment costs in the homes. That would immediately relieve those in need of care, according to the new figures from July 1st, by an average of 477 euros per month.
What measures are there to counter rising care costs?
The care reform passed by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) in May is intended to help curb the sharp rise in care costs. Accordingly, the relief surcharges introduced in 2022 are to be increased again in the coming year. This is a cost brake that increases with longer stays in a care facility.
This should then reduce the personal contribution for pure care in the first year in the home by 15 instead of five percent, in the second by 30 instead of 25 percent, in the third by 50 instead of 45 percent and from the fourth year by 75 instead of 70 percent.
In order to counteract further additional burdens, the Bundestag has decided on a care reform.
(Photo: IMAGO/Jürgen Heinrich)
This should only moderate the trend in the short term, said Meyers-Middendorf from the substitute health insurance association. The board of directors of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brysch, complained that the cost wave for the government was foreseeable. “But the tsunami was not stopped.” Instead, “a mini relief” will soon come.
With the currently applicable relief rates, even with the highest surcharge, the co-payments went up to an average of 1738 euros, as can be seen from the data. That was 165 euros more than a year ago. Overall, the long-term care insurance funds are likely to spend more than four billion euros on the relief grants this year, the association of replacement funds expects.
What additional measures are required to reduce care costs
The president of the social association VdK, Verena Bentele, called for long-term care insurance to be developed into a full insurance that covers all care-related costs. Health Minister Lauterbach had expressed sympathy for such a model a few months ago.
A commission, in which the Federal Ministry of Economics, Family and Finance is also involved in addition to Lauterbach’s ministry, will deal with this question, he said. The SPD, Greens and FDP had already agreed in the coalition agreement to consider supplementing the previous long-term care insurance with a voluntary, equally financed full insurance.
Equal means that employers and employees contribute to the costs. The proposal of an expert council convened by the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) is already available. It envisages a paradigm shift.
>> Read more: New insurance as a solution to high care costs?
Unlike the previous long-term care insurance, it is not to be financed via the pay-as-you-go system, in which the contributions are paid out immediately in order to pay for the benefits. Instead, the experts are calling for funded insurance with old-age provisions. “Without more care provision, the contributors and the federal budget will be totally overwhelmed in our aging society,” said PKV Association Director Florian Reuter.
With agency material.
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