Minister Warken advocates for halting escalating expenses in nursing sector
In the heart of mid-2025, Germany's Health Minister, Nina Warken, is spearheading proposals and reforms aimed at enhancing the nation's care system and care insurance. The focus of these reforms is threefold: improving financial support for pensioners and caregivers, increasing wages for elderly care workers, and updating long-term care insurance contributions.
One of the key measures implemented from July 2025 is an increase in pensions and caregiver support. Pensions were raised by 3.74%, a move that has significantly improved the financial conditions for pensioners and those receiving disability pensions.
Another significant change is the increase in contributions to the statutory long-term care insurance, known as the Pflegepflichtversicherung. From July 1, 2025, pensioners began paying increased contributions, with the basic contribution rate raised from 3.4% to 3.6%.
Minimum wages for employees in elderly care have also seen a rise. From July 2025, unskilled care workers moved from €15.50 to €16.10 per hour, qualified care workers increased from €16.50 to €17.35, and specialist elderly care nurses saw their wages rise from €19.50 to €20.50 per hour.
The government is also pursuing administrative and structural reforms. These include a digitalization of care-related bureaucracy and a consolidation of hospital infrastructure to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health and care services.
Beyond these direct insurance changes, Minister Warken is demanding more federal funds to address care costs. She is planning to introduce a new care competency law to promote options for new living forms, aiming to address the care costs issue that she believes will only be partially covered by the care insurance in the future.
The minister also sees the responsibility of the states in addressing this issue. She is calling for more tax funds for health and care insurance before the upcoming federal budget negotiations and urging the states to review their regulations and standards regarding care home construction.
The German Foundation for Patient Protection is urging the federal government to settle its debts with the care fund, including 5.5 billion euros in costs from the corona crisis and 3.5 billion euros per year for pension insurance contributions from caring relatives. The foundation warns that care-dependent individuals cannot wait for a structural reform.
As the reform commission's suggestions are expected by the end of the year, Minister Warken advocates for a greater role of private provision in the care system. The Association of Substitute Health Funds has found that care in a home has become even more expensive for residents, with an average of 3108 euros due for care in a home as of July 1.
In response to these rising costs, Minister Warken is calling for relief to halt the rapid increase in personal contributions for care costs. This is a 237 euros increase compared to July 1, 2024, and a 124 euros increase compared to January 1.
These reforms reflect the current government’s approach to strengthening Germany’s long-term care system and insurance, focusing on better financial support for beneficiaries and workers and adapting contributions to sustain the system. For the latest and precise policy statements from Minister Warken, direct official government communications would be required.
- In the context of Germany's care system reforms, Health Minister Nina Warken is pushing for a new care competency law to promote alternatives for living arrangements, aiming to address the anticipated increase in care costs that cannot be fully covered by the insurance system alone.
- Minister Warken is also advocating for a role of private provision in the care system, in response to rising costs, with the Association of Substitute Health Funds reporting that care costs in homes have increased substantially, reaching an average of 3108 euros as of July 1.
- To mitigate the rapid increase in personal contributions for care costs, Minister Warken is urging policy-and-legislation changes to provide relief, as these contributions have seen a 237 euros rise compared to July 1, 2024, and a 124 euros rise compared to January 1. Furthermore, she is prioritizing vocational training programs for care workers to enhance their skills and well-being in the health-and-wellness sector.
