Warning from the Federal Audit Office: Billion-euro gap in nursing care insurance

Ahead of discussions on nursing care reform beginning Monday, the Federal Audit Office is warning of a financial gap of €12.3 billion in the area of ​​nursing care insurance. This is reported by Bild am Sonntag, citing a report by the Federal Audit Office to the Bundestag's Budget Committee. According to the newspaper, the auditors cite figures from the Federal Ministry of Health in their letter. The ministry paints a "bleak picture" for the coming years. It expects a deficit of €3.5 billion for 2026. By 2029, the ministry expects "the deficit to grow to €12.3 billion." The reason for the growing financial gap is the "unexpectedly sharp" increase in the number of people in need of care and the capping of personal contributions to nursing home care services. According to the Federal Audit Office, 5.6 million people were in need of care at the end of 2024 – 400,000 more than in the previous year.