Project Director of CRC 1342 Project A07 "New Politics of the Ageing Welfare State? Comparing Political Outcomes and Policy Feedback of Long-term Care Policies", Prof. Dr. Heinz Rothgang, was appointed to the commission on 14 October 2026, established under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health to develop proposals for reforming the public long-term care insurance system on behalf of the German federal government.
Financing the public long-term care insurance system has been one of the most pressing health policy issues for years, making it a central focus of the current legislative term. A cabinet draft of the Long-Term Care Restructuring Act (Pflegeneuordnungsgesetz, PNOG), set to take effect in January 2027, is now available. However, it can only provide short-term relief for the financing problems facing public long-term care insurance. Structural reform is needed to stabilize the system over the long term. To shape this reform, the newly appointed commission will analyze spending trends in both public and private long-term care insurance to develop recommendations regarding funding, care services, and preventive and rehabilitative measures.
The commission is to submit initial proposals by the end of January 2027. "Time is extremely tight and the need for action is great. For years we have been calling for fundamental reform of long-term care and have presented various proposals based on our research. There has been no shortage of ideas but rather a lack of political will. I hope that with the new Commission on Long-Term Care Structures, we can finally take the necessary steps towards stabilizing the long-term care insurance system and improving care provision," says Prof. Rothgang.
For the press release of the federal government: www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/pflegekommission-eingesetzt
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Heinz Rothgang
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58557
E-Mail: rothgang@uni-bremen.de
