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secondUndes Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) wants to limit the copayment for hospital care in the course of planned care reform. “My suggestion is that home residents pay a maximum of 700 euros a month for hospital care for a maximum of 36 months,” said Spahn of “Bild am Sonntag”. “That would be a maximum of 25,200 euros. Long-term care insurance remains a partial comprehensive insurance. But the participation itself is calculable. “
Spahn justified the planned cap with rising costs. Since 2017, the monthly contribution for hospital care has increased by an average of 238 euros. This is “becoming a problem for more and more families,” the minister said. “People in need of care and their families need to plan for safety. We can do this by limiting our own contribution. “
Contribution to self-care on average almost 800 euros
In general, people in need of care have to contribute more and more out of their own pockets for home care. The national average expires for the last time in 2015 euros per month, according to data from the Association of Substitute Funds (as of July 1). However, there are important regional differences.
On the one hand, the amounts include the copayment for pure care. Because, unlike health insurance, long-term care insurance only covers part of the costs. For residents in the home, there are also costs for accommodation, meals and investments in the homes. Costs are increasing on all fronts. For example, the purely assistance personal contribution has recently increased by a national average to 786 euros per month.
Better pay is required for nurses
Spahn wants to restart the debate on fundamental care reform this fall. She also wants nursing homes to pay their employees better: “In care, at least the fee must be paid,” said the minister of “Bild am Sonntag. Therefore, he suggests: “In order to bill for services with long-term care insurance, a nursing home or nursing service will have to pay employees according to the rate in the future.” The basis could be a house or industry collective agreement.
For hundreds of thousands of nurses, this means significantly higher wages: “Due to a shortage of skilled workers, nurses have more influence in collective bargaining.” In 2018, only 40 percent of nursing homes paid their employees according to the rate, compared to just 26 percent for outpatient services. Spahn said: “Vacation entitlements and special payments are also significantly lower than appropriate. That needs to change. “
According to Spahn, the health care reform will cost around six billion euros a year. “It can be said roughly: the ceiling for own contributions amounts to around three billion euros, the best pays carers around two billion, home care services around one billion.” Spahn wants to finance his reform with a grant from the federal budget.
