Germany Overhauls Health Insurance With Fairer Financing for Workers

SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch has expressed satisfaction with the coalition's agreement on reforms to Germany's statutory health insurance system while announcing changes to the legislative process in parliament.

"The parliament is not a notary for the government," Miersch told the Rheinische Post (Wednesday edition). "For us, the decisive factor is not just patching up the system in the short term but making it structurally resilient for the long haul."

This includes a "modern financing mix," the SPD floor leader explained. "We are moving forward with federal subsidies for basic social security and sending a clear signal for prevention with the sugar levy. Preventing illness before it arises ultimately relieves the burden on all contributors. It is a matter of fairness that the pharmaceutical industry also makes an appropriate contribution to stabilization."

Miersch emphasized that the SPD had made it clear in negotiations that the reform package must work for the people "who finance the system every day through their labor." He noted that insured workers and employees would be over €16 billion better off by 2030 than under the proposal put forward by Doris Warken. "The discussions were worth it: We have secured sick pay, stabilized contributions for families, and strengthened the principle of solidarity by raising the compulsory insurance threshold. This is a real protective barrier for working families."