Overview

• A federal working group is reassessing all revenues, expenditures and the orientation of care levels in the statutory long-term care insurance, with no decisions yet announced.
• Reports that eliminating Pflegegrad 1 is under consideration prompted objections from patient advocates and social associations, including Eugen Brysch and Joachim Rock.
• According to the Health Ministry, about 4.8 million people held a care level at the end of 2024, including roughly 861,000 with Pflegegrad 1.
• Benefits tied to Pflegegrad 1 include free training for family caregivers, subsidies for home modifications and aids, and a monthly relief amount of up to €131.
• Insurers cite billions in pandemic-related outlays, and Greens leader Britta Haßelmann urges the federal government to reimburse €6 billion in such costs to the care funds.