AfD Proposes Comprehensive Reforms for Health Insurance Contributions
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has unveiled its election program for the upcoming 2025 federal elections, highlighting significant changes in the area of social insurance, particularly addressing health insurance contributions.
With the Bundestag elections set for February 23, 2025, various political parties are outlining their key focuses and proposals to the public. The AfD's agenda includes a strong critique of the current health insurance system, particularly the rising contributions to health and long-term care insurance.
The party argues that current contribution levels in Germany surpass those in countries like Austria and Switzerland, while the quality and breadth of services do not reflect this higher cost. The AfD aims to prevent further increases in these contributions by implementing several reforms aimed at reducing costs.
Among the proposed measures, the AfD suggests transferring the financial responsibility for the health insurance coverage of citizens receiving basic income from the health insurance funds to the federal budget. This idea aligns with similar proposals from the Green Party. In addition, the AfD advocates for merging health and long-term care insurance, alongside simplifying the administrative structures governing medical professionals, hospitals, and care services, which are currently burdened by high administrative costs.
Thomas Dietz, a member of the Bundestag's health committee, emphasized the need for a fundamental reform of the healthcare system, stating that the proposed changes should serve the public interest. Contributions to statutory health insurance are determined by several factors, including a base contribution rate set at 14.6%, which is shared between employers and employees, along with additional contributions determined by the individual health insurance funds.
The AfD also calls for a reevaluation of non-insurance-related benefits financed by the federal budget. The party criticizes the current government's approach, which they claim has blurred the lines regarding these benefits, often using them to address budgetary concerns. They cited the funding of pandemic-related measures from the long-term care insurance fund as a misuse of social insurance contributions.
By eliminating the misallocation of funds, the AfD believes it could either enhance benefits or lower contributions for insured individuals. Furthermore, the party suggests that if non-contributory benefits were funded through the federal budget instead of social insurance contributions, there would be a substantial increase in available resources for pension financing.
In addition to the reforms concerning health insurance, the AfD plans to end the practice of including basic income recipients in the health insurance framework, with the federal budget covering these costs. However, this proposed shift raises questions about potential increases in the federal deficit and how the party intends to balance its budget without raising taxes, especially since the AfD claims to support maintaining the debt brake.
The debate surrounding the funding of non-contributory benefits is not limited to the AfD. Other political entities, such as the Free Democratic Party (FDP), have also called for clearer definitions and classifications regarding these costs, which currently do not have a systematic approach or comprehensive data available.
The situation remains complex, with the federal government's subsidies to help cover these non-contributory expenses leading to a shared financial burden amongst the population. Many believe that the costs associated with these benefits should be borne by the general populace rather than being allocated through social insurance contributions.
As the elections approach, the AfD's proposals on health insurance reforms and contributions are likely to influence discussions and debates surrounding social insurance policies in Germany.
