AOK Board Chair Demands Financial Equalization of Long-Term Care Insurance
AOK Board Chair Carola Reimann demands a financial equalization between the statutory and private long-term care insurance due to a projected deficit of around eight billion euros by 2027. She suggests financing all care costs, including relatives' pension contributions, through general taxes. Failure to stabilize the system will inevitably cause contribution hikes.
The demand for a fundamental realignment of long-term care financing is currently a central topic in the German social system. At the heart of this debate is AOK Board Chair Carola Reimann, who vehemently calls for a financial equalization between the statutory and private long-term care insurance. This demand essentially means a shift in the distribution of burdens, which calls the existing dual system into question.
The figures significantly illustrate the problem: By 2027, a projected deficit of around eight billion euros is expected in the statutory long-term care insurance. This number points to a structural overload that cannot be remedied by short-term adjustments and shows that the system will not remain stable without profound measures.
Against this backdrop, Reimann maintains the clear position that the financing of all care tasks, including explicitly the pension contributions for caring relatives, should ideally be secured through general tax revenue. This implies a transition from a purely contribution-based financing model to stronger state cushioning through general tax revenues.
This analysis leads to a warning prognosis: If the system is not stabilized, this will inevitably lead to avoidable and significant increases in contributions. This development would further increase the burden on insured persons and employees and undermine the acceptance of the entire system. The question remains, therefore, whether the demanded tax financing represents the only alternative to rising contributions.