Overview
- The Pflegestrukturkommission, which began work on Tuesday, is made up of 13 experts and is co-chaired by Prof. Dr. Georg Cremer and Prof. Gabriele Kuhn-Zuber.
- The commission must deliver concrete proposals by the end of January 2027 so the coalition can aim to have a new care law take effect on July 1, 2027.
- Its remit covers four main tasks: analyze spending trends, propose short- to long-term financing options, recommend changes to care delivery, and suggest measures for prevention and rehabilitation, and the panel will hold three hearings with providers, municipalities and those affected.
- Care groups have warned the commission lacks sufficient active-practitioner representation, arguing the panel contains too many economists and jurists and omitted bodies like the German Nursing Council.
- The work responds to rising long-term care costs and an immediate funding gap that the cabinet’s short-term Pflegeneuordnungsgesetz seeks to close, and the commission will weigh options that range from capping out-of-pocket charges and more tax funding to mandatory private top-up insurance with employer shares.