Minister Warns Government: Galore of Billions Required for Job Seekers' Health, Long-term Care
Federal Health Minister Pressures for a $1 Billion Investment from the Federation
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Health Minister Urges Firm Stand Against Contributors First
The health sector faces billion-dollar shortages in health and long-term care insurance—widened by the federal government's reluctance to contribute to job seekers and COVID-related expenses. New Health Minister Nina Warken urges the government to prioritize substantial investments rather than relying on donors to fill the gap.
Nina Warken, the fresh face in CDU's health ministry, aims to combat subsequent hikes in health insurance contributions with an emergency package. "Our focus is on a comprehensive solution to minimize contribution increases as much as possible. We'll work collaboratively with the entire government on this," Warken shared with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
Health Insurers in the Red
The health insurance market's predicament is dire, according to Warken, who fears the federal government's contribution for job seekers' healthcare isn't sufficient to cover their costs, creating an imbalance. To bridge the gap, she emphasizes discussions are pending, and calculations by healthcare providers suggest the federal government should shoulder an additional 10 billion euros to genuinely cover job seekers' health care expenses.
Government Carries Heart of the Matter: Long-term Care
Warken also presses the government for a long overdue billion-dollar contribution to momentarily stabilize the ailing long-term care insurance. The federal government is said to owe the long-term care sector more than 5 billion euros for pandemic-related expenses like tests and facilities saved from closure. Warken insists the long-term care sector needs to be compensated for these obligations, as they were society's shared responsibility. She reiterated, "We must remove any taboo when it comes to short-term measures to shore up long-term care financing."
Health Sector under Siege: Pressing Worries, Comprehensive Action
Warken considers the current state of long-term care insurance to be an immediate crisis that requires quick solutions before tackling fundamental reforms. While the federal-state committee tackling this issue will pave the way for change, it's estimated to take months to materialize results. Warken firmly believes immediate, short-term measures are necessary to stabilize long-term care financing until reforms are implemented.
Requested funding for job seekers' health insurance and long-term care insurance were both recommended by the health negotiation team during Union-SPD coalition talks; however, these items were ultimately removed from the final agreement.
- Health Minister, Nina Warken
- Job Seekers' Health Insurance
- Long-term Care Insurance
- Statutory Health Insurers
- Statutory Health Insurance
- Healthcare Reforms
- The health minister, Nina Warken, emphasizes the need for the government to invest significantly in job seekers' health insurance and long-term care insurance, as the sector faces billions in shortages, with statutory health insurers suggesting an additional 10 billion euros is required to cover costs.
- In a move to combat rising health insurance contributions, Minister Warken plans to introduce an emergency package that focuses on a comprehensive solution to minimize increases, working collaboratively with the entire government.
- The long-term care sector is also in dire straits, with Warken urging the government to contribute billions to temporarily stabilize it, as it has accumulated over 5 billion euros in pandemic-related expenses. She stresses the importance of immediate, short-term measures to support long-term care financing until comprehensive reforms are implemented.
