Overview
- SPD parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch announced on Saturday that the SPD parliamentary group will not support the current Health Ministry draft because it is “primarily a cuts package” and lacks structural reforms.
- The party says privately insured people must pay a fair share and has pushed proposals to cap care-home resident payments, with Saarland proposing a €1,500 monthly limit as one model.
- Statutory care funds face a reported shortfall of about €4.4 billion by year-end, and insurer groups have warned that delaying action risks insolvency and service cuts.
- The refusal puts Health Minister Carsten Linnemann’s plan to present a bill to cabinet next week at risk and sets up urgent inter-coalition talks over whether the draft will be revised or postponed.
- For families the stakes are clear: average out-of-pocket costs for a first-year care-home place are about €3,364 per month, municipalities already step in when residents cannot pay, and advocates say immediate revenue and structural changes are needed to protect access and long-term financing.