Overview
- Oliver Blatt of the GKV umbrella group says the long-term care insurance is running on €4.2 billion in federal loans and that some care funds may need liquidity assistance in 2026.
- The association urges tighter rules for recognizing care needs and assigning the five care grades, arguing a generous 2017 reform helped double the number of beneficiaries to nearly six million.
- Without far-reaching changes, the average health insurance rate could climb to roughly 18 percent by 2027, and the average supplemental rate is expected to rise in 2026 to at least 3.1 percent despite a small savings package targeting hospitals.
- The government has launched an expert commission to deliver stabilization proposals by March 2026 and broader reforms by year’s end, as CDU leaders float revisiting the coalition pact and the SPD insists on implementing current commitments first.
- Public surveys show 81 percent expect higher co-payments and 74 percent expect fewer covered services, while 37 percent anticipate the CDU/SPD coalition will end before 2029 and business groups press for sweeping social and pension reforms.