- Hessian CDU leader Rhein advocates for extensive overhaul in the healthcare sector.
Hesse's CDU leader and Minister President Boris Rhein has advocated for a significant revamp of thecare system due to escalating care expenses in an aging population. Reacting to a recently proposed concept by Saxony's premier Michael Kretschmer and North Rhine-Westphalia's social minister Karl-Josef Laumann, he told the German Press Agency in Wiesbaden that both CDU politicians have sparked an essential discussion that the federal government has been shirking.
"The way we handle our elderly is a barometer of our society's unity. Those who talk about respect should act in the realm of care," Rhein underscored. "We necessitate a comprehensive care overhaul as a response to one of the primary issues of our time."
Full-coverage insurance in the future?
As per the paper by Kretschmer and Laumann, the current care financing must transition into a federal-funded full-coverage insurance that encompasses all care-related expenses. At present, around one-third of care home residents in Germany rely on social aid due to insufficient pension funds to cover care expenses.
Research conducted by the IGES Institute, a research and consulting organization focused on infrastructure and health concerns, suggests that around 16.5 billion euros would be required for full care insurance in the year 2026, a sum the federal government should shoulder. This would reduce co-payments for care-dependent individuals and their relatives by roughly 8.9 billion euros, leaving them to bear only non-care costs like investments, maintenance, and catering charges. Voluntary supplementary insurance policies could be made available to meet these needs.
Approximately 1,000 care homes in Hesse
According to data from Hesse's State Statistical Office, around 85% of the over 368,000 care insurance recipients in Hesse are cared for by family members at home. Around 204,000 care-dependent individuals are supported by self-organized care aides, and around 73,000 by professional care and support services. There are approximately 1,300 care services in Hesse employment around 33,000 people. In total, around 56,000 people reside in around 1,000 care homes, employing more than 56,000 staff members (all figures as of 2021).**
In light of the proposed concept by Saxony's premier and North Rhine-Westphalia's social minister, Hesse's CDU leader Boris Rhein acknowledged the necessity of a widespread discussion on care reform, emphasizing the significance of addressing care expenses in an aging population. Recognizing the strain on care home residents, over 1,000 of whom reside in Hesse, Rhein underlines the need for proper funding and support.
