"Let's shore things up here" - Klingbeil promises federal funds to struggling health and care insurance
Klingbeil plans to inject funds into health insurance system
In response to the distress call from the new health minister, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has promised a cash injection from the federal budget to help stabilize the troubled health and care insurance systems. However, he made it clear that this isn't a permanent solution, as gaps can't be perpetually filled with tax money. The exact amount of the subsidy is still unknown.
Klingbeil, the SPD leader, spoke to the German Press Agency (dpa) about the pressing situation in the health and care insurance and the need to provide some stability. He hinted at fundamental and daring structural reforms being in the works, as per the coalition agreement. Previously, Federal Health Minister Nina Warken had demanded a hefty infusion of cash for both insurance systems to improve their financial standing and prevent further increases in contribution rates. Both branches are bleeding money.
Warken highlighted that the federal government, with its responsibility for the multi-billion-euro deficits in the health and care insurance - partly due to uncovered contributions for benefit recipients and non-insurance-related services from the corona period - should shoulder some of the burden. She estimated the shortfall for benefit recipients alone to be around ten billion euros, and the federal corona debts to be almost six billion. Klingbeil did not directly respond to this argument, nor did he disclose the exact size of the promised federal subsidy to dpa.
The SPD chairman emphasized the need for a strong social security system that hard-working individuals can count on. He suggested getting creative rather than demanding longer working hours or cutting healthcare services. Klingbeil also defended Labor Minister Barbara Bas' proposal to include civil servants in the statutory pension insurance, stating that he thought the discussion about who should contribute to the pension fund could be expanded. The Chancellery had previously rejected the proposal, stating that it was not part of the coalition agreement.
- Lars Klingbeil
- Health insurance companies
- Care insurance
- Nina Warken
- Barbara Bas
Insights:
Structural reforms being considered for health and care insurance systems in Germany include hospital reform, strengthening local community pharmacies, promoting telemedicine and digital triage, and regulating investor-owned medical care centers. The government aims to close the gap between revenues and expenditures in the statutory health insurance system without significant improvements in pharmaceutical reimbursement conditions. Germany's healthcare system is a universal multi-payer system, combining statutory health insurance and private insurance options. [Source 1-3, 5]
- In the conversation with the German Press Agency (dpa), Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil acknowledged the need for structural reforms within the health and care insurance systems, as stipulated in the coalition agreement.
- Federal Health Minister Nina Warken had previously called for substantial financial support for both health and care insurance systems to improve their financial standing and prevent further increase in contribution rates.
- Lars Klingbeil emphasized the importance of a strong social security system, mentioning the need to get creative in finding solutions rather than insisting on extending working hours or reducing healthcare services.
