(de-news.net) – Germany is preparing reforms to stabilize statutory health and long-term care insurance, with proposals expected soon from an expert commission tasked with finding major savings. Among the options under discussion is ending free spousal co-insurance, a move that could reduce deficits, raise costs for some households, but generate annual savings in the single-digit billions of euros.
In the coming days, plans to place Germany’s statutory health insurance system on a more stable financial footing are expected to take clearer shape. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) said that the commission established for that purpose was likely to submit recommendations within a week. He further indicated that any reform would have to remain sustainable over many years if the steadily rising multibillion-euro costs of health care were to be brought under control in a durable way. In his view, the proposed changes were intended not only to strengthen the functional capacity and overall performance of the health care system, but also to reinforce a broader sense of fairness in the public sphere by ensuring that all groups were seen as making an appropriate contribution.
The ten-member expert commission appointed by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) began its work in September. Warken said that the body had been charged with identifying potential savings of roughly 25 billion euros, while the projected financing gap for the coming year was expected to amount to between 12 billion and 14 billion euros. These figures underscore the scale of the fiscal challenge now confronting the system. At the same time, discussions within the Federal Government regarding possible reform options are already underway, indicating that the commission’s work is being accompanied by broader internal deliberations over how the financial burden might be managed.
Caregivers and children set to remain protected
For many households, statutory health insurance and long-term care insurance could become noticeably more expensive under the measures now being considered. According to sources in the governing coalition, Berlin is weighing the abolition of the existing arrangement under which spouses may currently receive coverage without making contributions of their own. Under the proposals being discussed, adults who have until now been insured free of charge through a spouse would in future be required to pay a minimum monthly contribution of around 225 euros. At the same time, exemptions are reportedly being considered for those caring for children under the age of six or for dependent relatives. At present, around 16 million people in Germany are covered free of charge through family insurance arrangements, with children accounting for the largest share, and no change to their status is currently expected.
Government sources said that ending contribution-free spousal co-insurance was likely to become a central element of the wider reform of health and long-term care financing. The measure is expected to serve a dual purpose: first, to reduce the insurers’ multibillion-euro deficit, and second, to strengthen incentives for individuals to enter paid employment. According to the plans currently under consideration, monthly payments would be structured at 200 euros for health insurance and 25 euros for long-term care insurance. No final decision has yet been taken, however, as the government is waiting for the commission’s report before determining its next steps. Should co-insured spouses ultimately be required to pay the minimum contribution, the reform could ease financial pressure on the health and long-term care insurance systems by a low single-digit billion-euro amount each year.
Audio: TTSFree
