Berlin: (hib/PK) Health experts recommend that the federal government make significant improvements to the most recent care reform. Above all, the increase in nursing allowance and outpatient benefits in kind, which is perceived as too low, and the irregular dynamization of these benefits are criticized. The experts also called for a fundamental system reform in order to be able to finance long-term care. The experts commented on the draft law at a hearing of the Health Committee (20/6544) on Wednesday and in written statements.
The long-term care reform aims to relieve those in need of long-term care and stabilize the income from social long-term care insurance. The draft law by the SPD, Greens and FDP parliamentary groups provides for an increase in the care contribution by 0.35 points to 3.4 percent as of July 1, 2023. The nursing care contribution rate will also be further differentiated according to the number of children from July 1, 2023.
The nursing allowance and outpatient benefits in kind are to be increased by five percent on January 1, 2024. From the beginning of 2024, the surcharges of the long-term care insurance funds for those in need of care in inpatient care facilities will also be increased in a staggered manner.
The advocacy group for caring relatives, “We care!”, complained that a number of important projects had not been taken into account, such as the financing of non-insurance services through taxes. Those in need of care and relatives should also be able to receive the benefits if necessary, but that is not the case. The nursing infrastructure has serious gaps. As a result, statutory benefit claims would not be claimed. The interest group demanded a legal right to day care.
The German Alzheimer Society called for a major system reform. Even today, families have to accept major reductions in care because the costs of need-based care have exploded. The immediate dynamization of the services is necessary.
According to the German Social Association, the template falls far short of what is needed. Despite the tense situation in long-term care, the draft is limited to short-term proposals. Basic solutions for the long-term stabilization of nursing care would be postponed. With the cancellation of the originally planned merging of respite care and short-term care into a common annual amount, a central relief regulation was no longer applicable. Various other experts also criticized this point in the hearing.
The German Nursing Council (DPR) complained that necessary reforms were not being tackled. This threatens the collapse of the supply structures, since the actors cannot ensure their mission. The increase in contributions and the small adjustments in benefits are not long-term solutions to meet the challenges in nursing care.
The expert Carola Reimann emphasized the strengthening of home care as a central task. The draft did not take any initiatives with which the potential for maintaining and promoting the independence and skills of those in need of care could be strengthened in order to delay the need for care, criticized the chairwoman of the AOK federal association. She emphasized in the hearing: “Long-term care is one of the greatest tasks for society as a whole that we have.”
The employers’ association BDA questioned the implementation of the planned contribution differentiation according to children by July 1, 2023. The necessary collection of data is complex and cannot be managed in the planned period of time. It would also make sense to set up a central, digital registration point for this purpose.