Is this called family support?
What the end of non-contributory family insurance would mean for women
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© Dmytro Sheremeta / Shutterstock
What is currently being discussed in Berlin in order to relieve the burden on statutory health insurance companies is likely to cause many women to fear their existence. What is known about the idea of abolishing non-contributory coinsurance – and why it is the wrong approach.
The German health system is under enormous financial pressure – and with it the federal government, which is currently thinking about how it can relieve the burden on statutory health and nursing care insurance. Commissions were set up to develop fundamental reforms.
Now some of the reform ideas discussed have leaked out. The Handelsblatt and the Bild-Zeitung first reported that Contribution-free co-insurance for spouses in statutory health insurance could be abolished.
Abolition of non-contributory co-insurance: What is being discussed?
There is a monthly in the room Minimum contribution of 225 euros (200 euros for health insurance and 25 euros for nursing care insurance), which the previously insured spouse or registered life partner would have to pay into the statutory health insurance company. There could be exceptions for families with children under 6 years of age or relatives in need of care give in the household.
Around 16 million people are currently insured free of charge, including children in particular, who will continue to be insured without paying contributions. But also 2 to 3 million adults, that is Spouse with an income of less than 565 euros (or 603 euros for mini-jobs), although parental allowance, child benefit, housing benefit and student loans are not counted as income.
The Union sees two advantages in asking these people to pay: on the one hand, additional income of more than 6.6 billion, on the other hand, it should Offer women an incentive to work.
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Reality check: Is this called family support?
A woman who works a mini-job and otherwise takes care of children, household and voluntary work can only laugh at the kind of work incentive that the coalition has in mind. Because yes, it’s hard to believe, but children who are 7, 10 or even 14 years old – possibly even the entire range at once – also need to be looked after and accompanied. Just as older relatives do not only demand time and attention once they have reached a certain level of care.
It is very likely that the co-insured woman has consciously refrained from working beyond a mini-job because it is simply not financially worthwhile for many jobs in the German tax model (keyword: spouse splitting). Any attempts to reform spousal splitting and thus create a greater incentive for women to work also fail due to the opposition of the Union, which always upholds the value of the family and its support.
How does it fit that women who are tax-encouraged to rely on marriage as a safety net are now financially penalized for it?by having to pay over 200 euros into health insurance every month? For someone who has “earned” a maximum of 600 euros so far, 200 euros is an enormous amount of money!
And this doesn’t just apply to working women and mothers You will most likely have to completely reorientate yourself in your professional life – After all, jobs that are compatible with family don’t grow on trees. This also applies to pensionerswho have formed a financial community with their spouse all their lives and would now be punished for it in the same way.
Nothing has been decided yet – but once again things are starting at the wrong end
Despite all the outrage, the abolition of free co-insurance for married couples has not yet been decided. These are suggestions that need to be discussed and will certainly not be implemented so quickly – especially since state elections are coming up soon.
Similar to the part-time debate, this discussion shows us once again that the current government has its The pressure to save and perform is best carried out at the expense of population groups that are already struggling and don’t have a lobby – these are migrants and recipients of citizens’ benefits as well as women and children. We should therefore be able to express our opinion on this just as loudly as the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, health insurance companies and other lobby groups that oppose reform options that affect them.
Sources:
handelsblatt.de, tagesspiegel.de, mdr aktuell