Berlin. Alexander Hoffmann, leader of the CSU's state group in the Bundestag, is calling on the federal government to take on greater responsibility for the healthcare costs of citizens receiving basic welfare benefits (Bürgergeld).
Germany's sweeping healthcare reform targets fairness and cost balance
At the same time, he announced that the cabinet will set the healthcare reform in motion this Wednesday. "The timeline must be met. At Villa Borsig, we agreed to align spending with revenue—nothing will change about that," he told broadcasters RTL and ntv on Monday. Now, he said, the task is to finalize a package where "everyone naturally has their own priorities and wants adjustments." He added: "You can make those changes before the cabinet meeting or during the parliamentary process, but we are confident: we will stick to this schedule."
Hoffmann described the statutory health insurance (GKV) reform as the most sweeping overhaul of the healthcare system in 20 years, emphasizing that "you don't just pull something like this out of thin air." The goal, he said, is a package that people perceive as fair. "That's why it's only logical for lawmakers and parliamentary groups to be able to make adjustments during the legislative process without gutting the core of the package."
Critics argue that the reform fails to address the shifting of healthcare costs for welfare recipients. While the federal government provides a subsidy, it does not cover the full amount, leaving contributors to the statutory health insurance system to shoulder around twelve billion euros in additional costs. "No one sees this as fair, which is why we need at least a first step in the right direction—and that's what we're fighting for," Hoffmann said. He declined, however, to specify what share of the costs the federal government should assume in the future.
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