Berlin. Chancellor's Chief of Staff Thorsten Frei (CDU) remains committed to the timeline for the planned healthcare reform despite coalition debates. "Yes, it's extremely ambitious. We knew that from the start. But it's achievable," Frei told broadcasters RTL and ntv. "What matters is that, with goodwill and determination, we steer this through to the end."
Germany's healthcare reforms face funding battles and tight deadlines
Frei acknowledged that many groups with differing interests were now making their voices heard, but stressed this was neither unusual nor problematic. "The fact is: if we need to save over €15 billion next year to stabilize healthcare contributions—rising to €40 billion by 2030—we can only succeed by involving all stakeholders in the system." The key, he added, was ensuring every group contributed its share. "That means everyone affected must see it as fair, with no single group bearing an excessive burden."
Addressing the debate over healthcare funding for citizens receiving basic welfare (Bürgergeld), the chancellor's chief of staff said: "It's true that a larger share of tax revenue should go toward their health insurance. But in our statutory health system, no one pays exactly what they use—some pay more, others less. It's a system of solidarity." He noted that the underlying issue—ensuring sufficient tax-funded support for welfare recipients—had gone unresolved for decades. "It would be good if we could finally fix it."
However, Frei dismissed as unrealistic the idea of fully covering the roughly €12 billion cost from the federal budget. "That's simply not realistic—we have to be honest about that. The money isn't there. And let me emphasize: this isn't a new problem; it's been around for decades in Germany. So we should be cautious about suggesting it can be solved with a stroke of the pen."
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