The private health insurance (PKV) considers the planned extension of the care rescue package to be unnecessary and unconstitutional.

It cannot be justified that the so-called social long-term care insurance of the statutory health insurance funds is reimbursed for its additional expenses from taxes, but that private compulsory long-term care insurance has to fall back on contributions, according to a statement by the PKV Association on the draft regulation by the Ministry of Health on a third extension of the long-term care protection umbrella.

Privately insured people would be asked to pay twice as contributors and taxpayers, the PKV paper, which is available to the FAZ, complains: "This double burden for the same purpose violates the Basic Law."

Christian Geinitz

Business correspondent in Berlin

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The draft bill from the house of Karl Lauterbach (SPD) provides for the “measures to maintain nursing care” to be extended until the end of June.

The payments, such as the reimbursement for unused home beds, would otherwise have expired at the end of March.

The private insurance companies consider it “contradictory” that due to the falling number of infections, the corona restrictions at the beginning of spring on March 20th will largely be lifted, while at the same time the billions in compensation payments in care should continue.

Debt at the expense of future generations

PKV Association Director Florian Reuther points out the high vaccination rate among those in need of care and the forthcoming institution-related vaccination requirement from March 16th.

“With the vaccinations, nursing care has become increasingly normal.

Nevertheless, there are still bonuses for every empty care bed, as was the case at the peak of the Corona crisis in early 2020," criticizes Reuther.

The test costs could certainly be reimbursed.

"But lump sum payments for unused care places undermine any entrepreneurial initiative and responsibility of care providers."

Lauterbach's draft expects private insurance companies to spend around 40 million euros more on the rescue package in the current year.

Statutory health insurance would have to raise 25 million.

Social long-term care insurance will be burdened with 1.05 billion euros, half of which will be due to test costs.

Both are reimbursed by the federal government.

In 2021 it was almost 5 billion euros.

The PKV estimates its expenditure for 2021 at more than 470 million euros.

Lauterbach is sticking to its plans to extend the protective shield.

In Berlin, he said that the care facilities had significant revenue losses and additional expenses.

Many needy people would have refrained from services in order not to become infected, for example in day care.

With Omikron there are more outbreaks and deaths in homes, many older people are not yet vaccinated.

"I see no reason to come to a new assessment," said the minister.

"Thus, the protective shield for the care facilities is still necessary."

Meanwhile, the "Initiative for a sustainable and generation-fair care reform" warns that the care chapter in the coalition agreement could "quickly become obsolete".

Eight associations belong to this association, such as the PKV, the employers' associations BDA and Die Familienunternehmer.

By 2030, the number of people in need of care will increase from 4.1 to 6 million.

Without suitable decisions, however, in ten years "security of supply will be at risk across the board," according to an as yet unpublished position paper.

Instead of introducing supplementary, generation-fair financing in the capital cover procedure, politicians are planning to limit personal contributions and increase nursing wages through the obligation to enter into collective agreements.

In fact, this is just an increase in debt at the expense of the next generation.

As soon as the baby boomers reach the age where they need care, the following applies: “It is uncertain who will take care of them.”