Tariff payment in geriatric care mandatory – salary increases of up to 30 percent. The salaries for many nursing staff in geriatric care are currently increasing significantly. According to estimates by private facility providers available to the BMG, these increases amount to between 10 and 30 percent, depending on the federal state and facility. The main reason for the salary increases is the obligation for nursing homes and outpatient care services that has been in force since September 1, 2022 to pay their employees in care and support according to the tariff.
Federal Health Minister Prof. Karl Lauterbach:
“The collective bargaining agreement works. The wages of the nursing staff in the homes are increasing significantly and that is intentional. Her important work is finally better paid. This is a belated thank you to all active caregivers and a good sign to all who aspire to take up this important and fulfilling profession. Society must reward this achievement better.”
Since September 1, 2022, in order to be approved as such, a care facility must either be subject to collective agreements itself or pay its nursing and caregivers at least in the amount of the care collective agreements applicable in the region.
In return, the long-term care insurance funds are obliged to take the rising wage costs into account when negotiating the remuneration for the long-term care services, and thus to guarantee the refinancing of the collective bargaining agreement or orientation.
Wages in geriatric care have already risen significantly in recent years. From 2017 to 2021, wage growth in geriatric care totaled 20.8 percent. The wage development in geriatric care exceeded the average wage development of all sectors with a total increase of 9.6 percent and in nursing with 13.6 percent. In geriatric care, wages for skilled workers have exceeded the average level for the first time since 2020.
In order to relieve those in need of care of the associated higher personal contributions to inpatient care, these were gradually limited as of January 1, 2022. Depending on the length of stay, people in need of care in care grades 2 to 5 in inpatient facilities receive a subsidy financed by the long-term care insurance funds for their private contribution of 5 to 70 percent. On average, there are relief effects of €368 per month as of the reporting date of July 1, 2022. (As an example: people in need of care who are in the 4th year or longer in an inpatient facility no longer pay an average of €964 per month, but only €289 as a care-related personal contribution to be borne by themselves.
In order to relieve the burden on those in need of care who are cared for on an outpatient basis, the benefit amounts for care benefits in kind were increased. Since the 1st
From 1 January 2022, outpatients will receive between 35 euros (care level 2) and 100 euros (care level 5) more.
Background: Collective bargaining agreement
Despite the increase in wages in geriatric care, employees there still receive around 700 euros less per month than their colleagues in nursing. With the Health Care Further Development Act (GVWG), nursing homes and outpatient nursing services were therefore obliged to pay their employees in the nursing and care areas according to tariffs from September 1, 2022. With the Care Bonus Act, which came into force on June 30 of this year, the legal regulations and implementation regulations were specified and specified. The implementation of these regulations also takes into account the objective of the coalition agreement to further close the salary gap between nursing and geriatric care.