Alt bedürftig verarmt Die neue Pflegereform rüttelt kaum am Problem

Exorbitantly rising out-of-pocket expenses are making more and more people in need of care dependent on social welfare. A new reform, which will come into effect in July and is being touted by the federal government as a blessing, will not change this. Social associations warn of increasing old-age poverty and demand full insurance coverage.

An analysis by Susan Bonath

The federal government, regardless of its composition, has long been known for marketing inadequate mini-reforms as great blessings. This is currently also the case with its planned nursing care reform, which is being implemented in baby steps. This will not slow down the ongoing increase in out-of-pocket expenses for care, which is already turning needy individuals into social welfare cases. A coalition of social associations and trade unions therefore rightly warns of increasing poverty among those affected.

Small pensions, skyrocketing nursing care costs

The statutory nursing care insurance, into which employees must pay monthly contributions, only partially covers the costs. Needy individuals have to pay high out-of-pocket expenses for their care. Those most affected are people who end up in nursing homes in old age or due to a disability. Last year, nursing home residents had to pay between around 1,600 euros (Saxony-Anhalt) and more than 2,500 euros (Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saarland) out of their own pockets. Nationwide, the average out-of-pocket expense in 2022 was 2,179 euros per month. At the beginning of this year, according to a calculation by the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds (VDEK), this average value increased again to 2,411 euros per month. This far exceeds the pension of most affected individuals – they become social welfare cases, with everything being taken away from them except for a monthly „allowance“ of currently 135.54 euros. According to a response from the federal government to the Left Party, more than half of retirees already have to get by with less than 1,000 euros per month.

Not even offsetting inflation

At the same time, the lack of personnel is taking its toll, which is not only due to the aging population but also to the increasing privatization of facilities, low wages, and poor working conditions. The federal government wants to address this issue first with its reform. Their solution is not very creative: the contribution rate, partly borne by the employee and the employer, will increase by 0.35 percentage points.

For those without children, the rate will therefore be a total of 4 percent (2.3 percent employee contribution) from July 1. Depending on the number of children, it will decrease to a minimum of 2.4 percent (0.7 percent employee contribution) with five or more children, although it will be increased again to a total of 3.4 percent for all mothers and fathers after the period of child-rearing, with half of it being borne by the employer.

In addition, the government wants to launch new programs to recruit nursing staff from abroad and further promote digitization in nursing homes. This is allegedly intended to improve working conditions for employees. With a delay, there is a small consolation for those affected: from 2024, there will be a 5 percent increase in subsidies for outpatient and inpatient care, with smaller adjustments planned for the following years. However, this does not even offset the real inflation.

„Old-age poverty will increase significantly and rapidly“

The coalition of social associations and trade unions warns that nursing care costs are becoming a trap of poverty for more and more people. „We are concerned to note that the risk of being affected by poverty in the event of a need for care is increasing,“ the call states. Ulrich Schneider, Managing Director of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband, stated that almost one-third of all nursing home residents now depend on social welfare. From mid-2023, those in need who are cared for in a nursing home for up to one year will have to pay an average of 2,700 euros per month out of their own pockets.

Therefore, the coalition is calling for an expansion of insurance coverage. In the future, it should cover all incurred nursing care costs. This would reduce the out-of-pocket expenses to about half, as only costs for board and lodging would remain, which would already exceed the income of most retirees. Alexander Schraml from the Federal Association of Municipal Senior and Disabled Facilities (BSKB) warned: „Without a fundamental reform of nursing care financing, old-age poverty will increase significantly and rapidly – this cannot be the result of 28 years of nursing care insurance.“

As usual, the social associations are unlikely to be heard. An end to the downward spiral is not in sight – not only for the elderly and those in need of care

Original Artikel Teaser

Alt, bedürftig, verarmt: Die neue Pflegereform rüttelt kaum am Problem

Exorbitant steigende Eigenanteile machen immer mehr Pflegebedürftige zum Sozialfall. Eine neue Reform, ab Juli in Kraft und von der Bundesregierung als Wohltat verkauft, ändert daran nichts. Sozialverbände warnen vor steigender Altersarmut und fordern eine Vollversicherung. Quelle: www.globallookpress.com © IMAGO/Fotostand / GelhotEine Analyse von Susan BonathDie Bundesregierung, egal welcher Zusammensetzung, ist schon seit Langem bekannt dafür, mangelhafte Mini-Reförmchen als große Wohltaten zu vermarkten. So hält sie es aktuell auch mit ihrer in Trippelschritten geplanten Pflegereform. Den fortlaufenden Anstieg der Eigenanteile für die Pflege, was Bedürftige schon jetzt reihenweise zu Sozialhilfefällen macht, wird das nicht bremsen. Ein Bündnis aus Sozialverbänden und Gewerkschaften warnt deshalb zu Recht vor zunehmender Armut bei Betroffenen.Kleine Renten, explodierende PflegekostenDie gesetzliche Pflegeversicherung, in die Arbeitnehmer monatlich Beiträge einzahlen

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