No disadvantages through the care reform?

No disadvantages through the care reform?

Federal Health Minister promises improvements for all people in need of care

05/23/2014

According to the ideas of the Federal Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe, the planned care reform should bring advantages for all those in need. Opposite the „West German Allgemeine Zeitung“ Gröhe promised that no one would be worse off by the reform than before. Disadvantages are not to be feared.

„With the forthcoming improvements in care, we have made a show of strength during this term, which will benefit all those in need of care“, The statement of the Federal Minister of Health in a recent press release on the presentation of the numbers of social care insurance from the year 2013. Currently, the financial situation of the social care insurance is almost no longer good, but must be used sparingly with the reserves, as number of people in need of care in will increase significantly in the next few years.

Introduction of new levels of care and other performance improvements
According to the Federal Minister of Health, five grades of nursing care will apply to the approximately 2.5 million people in need of care by 2017 at the latest - instead of the previous three. The classification of today's benefit recipients into the new levels of care is carried out automatically and they will continue to receive at least the usual benefits, continued Gröhe. The first performance improvements are already planned for 2015. Given the reserves currently amounting to € 6.17 billion in the long-term care funds, there is room for maneuver here. In addition, the good economic situation has meant that social nursing care insurance alone reported a surplus of just under € 630 million in 2013. With respect to nursing reform, there is therefore more scope for content-related discussions, as the financial pressure to act is currently rather modest. (Fp)