Medical coverage - Soaring care expenses necessitate reforms, says AOK.
The AOK Sachsen-Anhalt in Magdeburg is sounding the alarm over the ever-increasing costs of healthcare for both insurance providers and individuals needing care. They've seen their care fund spending spiral, with 1.2 billion euros going towards care services in 2023 alone - this is a whopping 47% increase compared to 2017 when they were only spending 962.8 million euros. Breaking it down further, we can see that the funding went towards ambulatory services (620 million euros) and stationary services (550 million euros).
The rise in healthcare expenses has also been reflected in the number of care-dependent individuals in the state. Since the restructuring of care levels to care grades in 2017, the state has seen an additional 50% of people who are now care-dependent, bringing the total number to more than 166,000.
The insurer anticipates continuing cost issues, foreseeing a deficit as early as 2025. A forthcoming law, the Pflegeunterstützungs- und -entlastungsgesetz, plans to increase benefit rates dynamically next year. This means higher contributions for nursing insurance, a change that affects every insurance company and their customers. Even co-payments for nursing home residents would continue to climb if no reforms are made. The current monthly average for residents' co-payments in Saxony-Anhalt is 1,800 euros, a 16% increase from 2022. A similar analysis conducted by Barmer in Saxony-Anhalt shows similar trends.
If Ad-hoc relief is to be provided to nursing home residents, the AOK believes the training costs of caregivers could be deducted from their co-payments. This idea aligns with a promise made in the traffic light coalition's agreement for the federal government. In addition, the insurer suggests the states should take on investment costs of nursing homes, a responsibility previously shouldered by care-dependent individuals. The AOK is also calling for contribution-covering contributions to social care insurance for social welfare recipients, another commitment outlined in the coalition agreement.
It's important to remember that the average financial burden for care-dependent people in institutional care in Saxony-Anhalt stands at around 1,800 euros per month.
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The AOK in Saxony-Anhalt, specifically in Magdeburg, is grappling with the escalating costs of long-term care insurance due to an increased number of people in need of care. The insurer, AOK Saxony-Anhalt, spent over 1.2 billion euros on care services in 2023, a significant increase from 2017's 962.8 million euros. These expenses have also led to anticipation of a deficit by 2025. Additionally, co-payments for nursing home residents in Saxony-Anhalt are currently averaging 1,800 euros per month, a 16% increase from 2022.
