Government scraps plans for higher personal contributions in long-term care

The talks between the coalition partners are being continued in Berlin. According to government circles, the focus is now on how to finance the reform and on the question of which benefits should be covered to a greater extent by long-term care insurance in the future.

Conflict line within the coalition

Observers interpret the decision against higher personal contributions as a political signal: The coalition wants to avoid placing additional burdens on those in need of care and their families. At the same time, pressure is mounting to keep long-term care insurance expenditures stable over the long term.

The background to the debate is the financial situation of the long-term care insurance. Rising costs for nursing home places, outpatient care, and increasing care needs in an aging population have caused the fund's deficit to grow in recent years. A reform is intended to cushion this development.

The SPD had repeatedly stressed during the negotiations that raising personal contributions was socially indefensible. Within the Union, the proposal was assessed differently; individual state associations, including from Bavaria, also expressed concerns about excessive burdens on families.

The Federal Ministry of Health under Health Minister Linnemann stated that it was working on a viable compromise that would stabilize long-term care insurance while securing care for those affected. Concrete key points have not yet been presented.

Outlook: What comes next

The long-term care reform is considered one of the central domestic policy projects of the current legislative period. When the cabinet will adopt a definitive draft is currently unclear. According to coalition sources, deliberations are to be continued in the coming weeks.

Alongside the question of personal contributions, improvements for care workers and a better reconciliation of care and work are also on the agenda. Professional associations and welfare organizations had called in statements for additional funds for outpatient care and more reliable financing of care costs.

Overall, the course of the negotiations shows how complex the issue of long-term care is in a coalition of SPD and Union. While the SPD insists more strongly on protecting those affected, the Union is pushing for solid financing of the system.

As a coalition spokesperson stated, individual models for counter-financing are currently being examined, including adjustments to contribution rates and the use of reserves. A final decision has not yet been made.