Germany proposes simplifying nursing home building standards to cut costs

German Health Minister Nina Warken is calling for a simplification of building standards for nursing homes, arguing that current regulations are overly prescriptive and contribute to high costs. She believes that by reducing requirements, particularly for room sizes and common areas, more affordable care places can be created.

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The statutory requirements for nursing homes should be reduced to the minimum.

Warken also defended planned cuts to supplementary payments for residents, which are intended to financially stabilize the long-term care insurance. She noted that these payments had doubled between 2022 and 2025, and while not eliminating them entirely, the government intends to delay their implementation. This move is part of a package to address a projected deficit in 2027 and prevent an increase in contributions.

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Too much is mandatory and too little is flexible. This also makes care places in facilities expensive.

Addressing criticism from the Association of German Cities regarding potential burdens on municipalities, Warken acknowledged that changes to supplementary payments could have implications. However, she emphasized that other measures, such as annual adjustments to benefits and a stronger focus on prevention to delay or avoid the need for care, would provide relief and planning security. She expressed confidence that these offsetting measures would ultimately balance out the feared additional costs.

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We are not abolishing this supplementary payment, but we can only grant the higher subsidies a little later.