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Controversial point about non-contributory co-insuranceMiersch and Söder want to renegotiate the health insurance savings package
The plan is to curb spending in practices, clinics and the pharmaceutical industry – but also higher co-payments for medication.
Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
The federal government wants to restrict free co-insurance for spouses. This is met with criticism in the SPD. The CSU also has concerns – including when it comes to financing citizens' health insurance contributions.
SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch still sees a need for discussion in view of the austerity package launched by the Federal Cabinet for stable contributions to statutory health insurance companies. “No-contribution co-insurance is a point that we definitely want to talk about,” he said on the ZDF program “Berlin Direkt”.
The SPD politician emphasized that it is clear that the parliamentary procedure is not a rubber stamp procedure. The parliamentary groups dealt with what the cabinet had decided. “And a wide variety of things need to be on the table,” said Miersch. This is normal and part of politics.
CSU boss Markus Söder also sees a need for improvement – for example when it comes to hospitals, Bavaria's Prime Minister explained on ZDF. “The issue of the extent to which recipients of citizens' benefit should continue to be financed by health insurance contributors to the same extent remains to be discussed.” There are “a number of points,” emphasized Söder. “But I think everyone agrees that in the end this reform will come and must come.”
The savings package for stable contributions to statutory health insurance companies has met with widespread criticism. The plan is to curb spending in practices, clinics and the pharmaceutical industry – but also higher co-payments for medication and restrictions on free co-insurance for spouses.
When asked about Merz's statement that no chancellor has had to endure as much on social media as he himself, Söder said: “Everyone knows that times are difficult, especially amplified many times over by digital echo chambers. Every sentence is turned around in the mouth.” He added: “I think every chancellor doesn't have it easy because the office is like that. But that also applies to many other offices. But that doesn't help us either. We just have to make sure that we deliver results,” warned Bavaria's Prime Minister.
Sources used: bho/dpa
