Demand from health insurance companies
Care in the home: Residents would have to pay 500 euros less
May 11, 2026 – 11:04 amReading time: 2 minutes
Nursing care insurance is deeply in the red. Health insurance companies demand money from the federal and state governments that they already owe to social security.
The statutory health insurance companies (GKV) are demanding more state resources from the federal and state governments to relieve the burden on long-term care insurance. “Nursing care insurance is facing the biggest test since it was introduced 31 years ago,” said the CEO of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, Oliver Blatt, to the “Rheinische Post” on Monday. He specifically mentioned investment costs and the repayment of outstanding funds from the time of the corona pandemic.
“So far, the federal states have avoided covering the investment costs in nursing homes,” criticized Blatt. If they were to carry out their duties here, all nursing home residents could immediately be relieved of an average of around 500 euros per month. “Rapid help for the nursing home residents would be possible here; the federal states are directly required,” said the GKV boss.
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No money for pension contributions for caring relatives
With regard to the federal government, he added: “When it comes to non-insurance benefits, the federal government is putting itself on a slim foot at the expense of those paying contributions.” He referred to the federal government’s debt for nursing care insurance from the Corona era of around five billion euros. “And he also doesn’t pay anything for the pension contributions of the caring relatives,” continued Blatt’s criticism. “In total, that would be around ten billion euros in the current year alone, which the federal government would have to reimburse to the nursing care insurance.”
The head of the GKV described the current situation in long-term care insurance as “extremely difficult”. The nursing care insurance has to spend more money than it takes in, “and the end of the line has long been reached when it comes to nursing home residents’ own contributions,” he said. However, nursing care insurance is a central component of social security. “Now it’s about maintaining their performance and affordability,” warned Blatt.
