Federal Health Minister Nina Warken's (CDU) plans for reforming the statutory health insurance (GKV) are facing broad resistance. Ahead of a hearing scheduled for Monday at the Health Ministry, social organizations and representatives of the medical profession called for changes to Warken's proposals. The social organizations criticized excessive burdens on insured members through measures including limiting family co-insurance, increased copayments for medications, and cuts to sick pay.
Minister Warken presented her draft law for a comprehensive GKV reform on Thursday. She is pursuing the goal of saving 20 billion euros in the coming year. The draft is to be approved by the Federal Cabinet as early as Wednesday next week. On Monday, an association hearing will take place at Warken's ministry: organizations from the health and social sectors can present their assessment of the plans there.
The chairwoman of the Social Association of Germany (SoVD), Michaela Engelmeier, criticized the draft as "lacking solidarity." It would "only further fuel the discussion about multi-tier healthcare," Engelmeier told the "Rheinische Post." "The draft law lacks balance, because after all, the GKV insured members have always delivered and endured years of premium increases."
The German Caritas Association rejected Warken's plan to limit family co-insurance. "The restriction of co-insurance for non-employed spouses leads to family policy hardships and bureaucratic expenses," criticized Caritas President Eva Welskop-Deffaa.
The planned increase in copayments would heavily burden low-income households: "If significantly higher copayments must be paid in the future for medications or hospital stays, this leads to social imbalance."
The President of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, criticized the rushed pace of the ministry. It is "an imposition that the participants are given only four days over a weekend to review and evaluate a law of over 150 pages with such fundamental cuts and changes," he stated.
Reinhardt particularly criticized that Warken's reform plan persists in continuing to finance the billion-euro costs for insuring basic security recipients from GKV contributions rather than from tax funds. This is a "lack of appreciation for the insured and those working in healthcare, who must bear this solidarity measure through savings, fee cuts, and service intensification."
The Marburger Bund physicians' association also called for thorough revision of the plans. Anyone who truly wants to stabilize contributions must "finally also fully finance non-insurance benefits from tax funds," demanded chairwoman Susanne Johna.
The health insurance funds face annual deficits of over ten billion euros alone from the costs of providing care to citizens' benefit recipients and their family members, which are unilaterally borne from contribution funds of the statutory health insurance. "Such imbalances are largely ignored in the present draft," criticized the Marburger Bund.
To reduce the costs of the deficit-ridden GKV, Minister Warken plans to restrict free co-insurance for spouses and higher copayments for medications, according to the draft law. Additionally, overall increases in prices and physician fees should be oriented to the development of health insurance fund revenues.
The contribution assessment ceiling is to rise by 300 euros in 2027, in addition to the normal increase, according to Warken's plans. High-earning employees would thus have to pay health insurance contributions on a larger portion of their wage income. Social security contributions would also increase for employers as a result.
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