Verena Bentele Warns of Care Reform Strain
Federal plans to reform Germany’s long-term care insurance risk pushing family caregivers to their limits, according to VdK Verena Bentele. The German government is currently drafting legislation aimed at stabilizing short-term contribution rates by bundling various benefits into joint funding pots. Bentele warned in an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that rigid structural changes will restrict access to tailored support systems and force families to alter functional care arrangements.
Budget Restrictions and Out-of-Pocket Costs
The proposed system divides care funding into four distinct categories, a rigid division that Bentele argues will leave vulnerable individuals paying more out of pocket once a specific budget runs dry. The VdK leader criticized the framework for forcing unrealistic substitutions. Not every patient can rely on a neighbor when professional nursing funds expire, nor does every care recipient require an expensive professional service simply because a local assistance budget has been exhausted.
Demand for Corona Debt Repayment
To prevent additional financial distress for households, the social association demands that the federal government repay 5.2 billion euros in outstanding pandemic-related expenses. These funds represent extra services that care funds provided during the coronavirus crisis without receiving federal compensation. The VdK advocates for a unified long-term care insurance model built on universal contributions rather than benefit cuts designed to patch structural deficits.
Why Is the German Government Reforming Long-Term Care Insurance?
Why is the German government reforming long-term care insurance?
Lawmakers are currently working on legislative adjustments primarily designed to stabilize contribution rates for the statutory long-term care insurance fund in the short term.
What specific changes is the VdK criticizing?
The organization opposes the division of benefits into four rigid funding pots, which it argues restricts access to flexible support and forces families to pay extra costs out of pocket.
How much does the VdK demand from the federal government?
The association calls for the repayment of 5.2 billion euros in uncompensated expenses incurred by care funds during the coronavirus pandemic.