Germany appoints commission for major long-term care reform
Thirteen experts must submit proposals by the end of January at the latest for sustainable funding of Germany’s long-term care system.
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The German government has appointed a commission to prepare a far-reaching reform of long-term care. The cabinet wants to receive proposals by the end of January at the latest; a new law could take effect on 1 July 2027.
The commission is called the Pflegestrukturkommission and, according to cabinet documents, consists of thirteen experts. Berlin lawyer Gabriele Kuhn-Zuber and former Caritas secretary-general Georg Cremer will serve as its chairs. The commission must submit proposals for the short, medium and long term.
The reason is the financial pressure on Germany’s Pflegeversicherung. The German government previously reported that more than six million people now need care. Without further measures, deficits would rise sharply in the coming years, while the costs of care institutions and home care are increasing.
Among other things, the commission must examine how residents’ contributions in nursing homes can be capped or how residents can be given more targeted support. The mandate contains no definitive decision on a cap; it concerns an examination of models intended to prevent people from ending up dependent on social assistance because of high care costs.
The balance between solidarity and personal responsibility will also be considered. The commission must examine whether elements of funded provision or supplementary private insurance could complement statutory insurance. The government has therefore not yet chosen either a fully public or a predominantly private system.
The decision follows weeks of negotiations within the coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD. The commission’s establishment was previously postponed because the parties disagreed on the precise mandate. The SPD explicitly wanted attention paid to personal contributions and to redistribution between private and statutory insurance.
For Dutch readers, the decision is particularly relevant as an example of a comparable European question: how can long-term care remain affordable as the number of people needing care grows? The decision changes nothing about Dutch health insurance, and the commission makes no statement about policy in the Netherlands. The German approach could, however, influence the European debate on care financing, the labour market and the division of responsibilities among government, insurers and households.
In the coming months, the emphasis will be on gathering proposals, not on introducing new entitlements or changing premiums immediately. The announced date of 1 July 2027 is part of the government’s planning and is not a fixed implementation date. The commission’s proposals must first be assessed, after which legislation and parliamentary consideration will have to follow.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Germany has appointed a commission for a structural reform of long-term care.
- The commission consists of thirteen experts and must submit proposals by the end of January at the latest.
- The mandate covers the financial sustainability of long-term care insurance and the level of personal contributions.
- A new law is planned for 1 July 2027, but has not yet been adopted.
- The German government reports that more than six million people need care.
Left
Arguments Statutory insurance must protect people from unaffordable care. A cap on personal contributions and a larger contribution from higher earners or private insurers are therefore obvious options.
Values Solidarity, financial security and access to care regardless of wealth.
Consequences The burden could be distributed more fairly, but premiums or taxes for workers and companies could rise.
Centre
Arguments Germany needs a combination of affordability, good care and financial discipline. The commission should first calculate the effects of different models before a political choice is made.
Values Institutional care, feasibility and balance between generations.
Consequences A compromise could gain broad support, but there is a risk that difficult choices will be postponed.
Right
Arguments Statutory insurance should provide a basic level of cover, while people should save themselves or take out supplementary insurance where possible. Unlimited collective cover could place too great a burden on public finances and younger generations.
Values Personal responsibility, affordability and limiting collective burdens.
Consequences More private cover could relieve pressure on public insurance, but could also create greater disparities between people with high and low incomes.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The current cabinet decision and the main points of the mandate have been confirmed by German reporting and official government information. The article clearly distinguishes between established decisions, options under consideration and a law that has not yet been adopted.
- confirmed Germany appointed a commission for structural long-term care reform on 14 October. — This is reported in current coverage of the cabinet decision. source
- confirmed The commission consists of thirteen experts. — The number appears in the description of the cabinet mandate. source
- confirmed The commission must submit proposals by the end of January at the latest. — The timetable is mentioned in the current news report and in earlier government information. source
- confirmed More than six million people in Germany need care. — This figure was mentioned during the German government press conference on care financing. source
- confirmed The commission is examining, among other things, personal contributions, solidarity mechanisms and funded provision. — These topics appear in the described mandate and the official explanation of the reform. source
- confirmed A new law could take effect on 1 July 2027. — This is the timetable mentioned in the current report on the cabinet decision; the article rightly notes that this is not yet a fixed implementation date. source
Editor's note
The cabinet decision, mandate and timetable have been confirmed by German government information and current reporting. The final content of the reform, its effects on premiums and the implementation date remain uncertain.Sources
- Kabinett beschließt Einsetzung: Pflegekommission soll große Strukturreform schnell anschieben — n-tv
- Regierungspressekonferenz vom 30. September 2026 — Bundesregierung Deutschland
- Kabinett beschließt Pflegeneuordnungsgesetz — Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „duitsland pflegeversicherung”
- De Telegraaf — „duitsland pflegeversicherung”
- AD — „duitsland pflegeversicherung”