The care expenses have been increasing for years, which also burdens millions of families.

Cabinet brings care reform on the way. The government now wants to take countermeasures in several places – and in parallel also with medicine shortages.

In view of the ever-increasing costs of care, millions of people in need of care are to benefit from relief – but also from higher care premiums.

The German Cabinet launched a draft bill by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). Accordingly, the general nursing care contribution is to increase by. July will be increased by 0.35 to 0.6 points. Now it is 3.05 percent, for people without children 3.4 percent. There is to be relief for families with two or more children. Those in need of care at home and in the home are to receive financial improvements at the beginning of 2024. Cabinet also approved a bill to more effectively safeguard drug supplies against shortages.

Lauterbach said on the care reform, those in need of care deserved full solidarity. “Since the cost of good care is constantly rising, the solidarity-based community must not look the other way and leave these higher costs to the people needing care and their relatives.”At the same time, the aim is to stabilize the financing of care.

Nursing care allowance to rise by five percent

According to the draft, the care allowance, which was last increased in 2017, is to be increased by five percent as of 1 January 2011. January 2024 to rise by five percent, as will the amounts for benefits in kind. Care allowance is paid as support when people in need of care live at home rather than in facilities. They can use it freely, for example for care. Depending on the level of care, it will be between 316 and 901 euros a month.

Relief supplements introduced for nursing home residents in 2022 are also to take effect on 1 January 2011. be raised by January 2024. This is to reduce the personal contribution for pure care in the first year in the home by 15 percent instead of 5 percent, in the second year by 30 percent instead of 25 percent, in the third year by 50 percent instead of 45 percent and from the fourth year by 75 percent instead of 70 percent. The background is that nursing care insurance – unlike health insurance – only covers part of the costs of pure nursing care. In the home, there are then also payments for accommodation, meals and investments in the facilities.

More differences depending on the number of children

Following a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, the contribution rate should in future also be differentiated more according to whether or not a person has children. Larger families with two or more children are to benefit. This is to be achieved with the increase in the general contribution to 1. July combined. As a result, the contribution for childless members will rise to 4 percent overall and to 3.4 percent for members with one child. In the process, the employer contribution is to rise from the current 1.525 percent to 1.7 percent.

For larger families, it is to be regulated so that during the child-rearing period up to 25. The government also decided to introduce a new contribution rate of 1.525 percent, which is lower than the current employee contribution rate. From two children, this is to be 1.45 percent in the future and further reduced as the number of children increases – down to 0.7 percent for care insurance members with five or more children.

Measures against drug shortages

The cabinet also approved a bill for stronger coverage of medication deliveries. In order to avoid bottlenecks for important preparations, Lauterbach plans new price rules that should make deliveries to Germany more attractive for manufacturers. In addition, European producers are generally to be given a greater share and stockpiling is to be regulated as a safety buffer. There have recently been supply bottlenecks, for example, for off-patent drugs such as antipyretics for children, as well as for antibiotics and cancer drugs.