Insurance providers for healthcare - Dementia patient numbers continue to rise; potential increase in care costs expected early next year.
Participants are getting ready for another hike in nursing insurance fees in the initial months of 2025. DAK and the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds in North Rhine-Westphalia (VdEK) also expect a boost around the same time. "The nursing insurance funds believe that the finances in the first quarter of 2025 will be less than a monthly expenditure. In such a case, the federal government has the power to raise the contribution rate," VdEK informed the "Rheinische Post" (Tuesday). "The preservation of the payment capacity of the entire system makes a contribution rate hike probable, given the current data scenario, possibly at the beginning of the year 2025."
Similarly, DAK managing director Andreas Storm had expressed this opinion back in April. He said that "an increase in the contribution rate for nursing insurance, probably at the turn of the year - and that by around two contribution points" is needed. The independent advisory board of the Stability Council also anticipates a raise in health insurance fees. The chairman Thiess Buttner said recently that there will be a social insurance contribution increase of at least half a percentage point next year.
Head of Association: The Federal Government Should Hold Private Nursing Insurance Accountable
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) made it known on Monday that he sees no hope for a nursing reform in this legislative term - despite a significant increase in the number of people requiring care. The differing opinions of the Ampel partners are to blame.
VdEK leader Dirk Ruiss expressed disappointment with this, calling for private nursing insurance firms to be held accountable. "Holding private nursing insurance responsible for a financial contribution with the mandatory nursing insurance could ease the burden by up to two billion euros per year," he said to the "Rheinische Post." He also asks for the financing of pension contributions for caregivers through tax income. "This would mean a reduction of 3.7 billion euros for the nursing insurance."
The finances of the nursing insurance were supposed to be secured by 2025. To achieve this, the Bundestag had decided on a contribution increase for childless people to 4 percent and for contributors with children to 3.4 percent in the preceding year. The employer contribution went up to 1.7 percent. With more children, the contribution would go down. The Association of Statutory Health and Nursing Insurance Funds had predicted in October that action would be needed on fees by the most current accounts. But, according to expert knowledge, significant funding shortages are already appearing.
Social Expert: Care-Dependent Individuals Should Self-Finance the Costs for a Year
The Freiburg social expert Bernd Raffelhueschen advocates for care-dependent individuals to self-finance the costs for a year. "The cost avalanche cannot be stopped any longer. To lessen the consequences, a nursing leave should be introduced as quickly as possible," he told the "Bild" (Tuesday). Caregivers would then have to pay the nursing costs themselves for the first year. "Only then will there be benefits from the nursing insurance."The economist speculates an increase in the contribution rate: "The nursing insurance could rise to roughly seven percent for childless people by 2040."
The Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds (MDK) anticipates a substantial increase in the number of nursing cases due to a rise in dementia cases. "Projections indicate that the number of people with dementia could continue to increase significantly in the future if there is no breakthrough in treatment and prevention," said the deputy MDK federal board member Carola Engler to the "Augsburger Allgemeinen". The experts of health insurance companies processed 160,000 more new applications last year than the previous year. Totally, the number of new applications increased to 1.35 million.
Lauterbach had cautioned on Monday of a rapidly rising increase in care cases. In the previous year, about 35,000 more nursing-dependent people emerged than usual, as the top association of health insurance companies revealed. The number thus rose to 361,000.
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- In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (VdEK) anticipates a significant increase in long-term care costs starting early next year, which may lead to a potential financing gap requiring intervention from the Federal Government.
- DAK managing director Andreas Storm had previously suggested that a contribution rate increase for long-term care insurance, possibly around two percentage points, might be necessary to address the anticipated financial shortages.
- Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has expressed doubts about the possibility of implementing a nursing reform during this legislative term due to differing opinions among party members.
- VdEK leader Dirk Ruiss has called upon the Federal Government to hold private long-term care insurance providers accountable for financial contributions and suggested financing pension contributions for caregivers through tax income to alleviate some of the burden.
- The Stability Council's independent advisory board anticipates a rise in health insurance fees by at least half a percentage point in the following year, in line with DAK and VdEK's expectations.
- Social expert Bernd Raffelhueschen has proposed that care-dependent individuals should self-finance the costs for a year to help lessen the consequences of the anticipated care cost avalanche, which might result in a nursing insurance contribution rate increase of around 7% for childless individuals by 2040.
Source: www.stern.de
