Germany news: Cabinet approves care reform bill

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The German Cabinet is to discuss the draft bill put forward by Health Minister Carsten Linnemann to reform the care system after much heated debate between the coalition partners, the Federal Press Office in Berlin has said.

The reform proposals have highlighted divisions between the bloc of conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) with Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), and junior coalition partner the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).

Those divisions made it uncertain up to the last moment whether Wednesday's meeting was to take place.

More than 1,000 police officers have launched raids in Germany and other European countries targeting Hells Angels bikers and an associated money-laundering network.

Duisburg police said the officers would execute a number of arrest warrants and confiscate up to €48.6 million ($55.15 million) of illicit funds.

More than 100 locations were to be searched, with 71 people under investigation.

Searches are being carried out in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin and Bavaria, as well as in Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.

According to police, those under investigation are suspected of "forming a criminal association, predatory and commercial blackmail, gang and commercial fraud and commercial money-laundering."

They are also believed to be behind weapons offenses, physical assault and tax avoidance.

The operation is under the supervision of state prosecutors in Duisburg, with the involvement of the State Office for Combating Financial Criminality in North Rhine-Westphalia (LBF).

A package of reforms to Germany's care system put forward by conservative Health Minister Carsten Linnemann remains a source of contention within the coalition.

It remained unclear early on Wednesday whether a planned morning Cabinet meeting to agree on the package called by Linnemann would take place.

The junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), opposes any cuts to care services.

Among other things, it has called for a cap on personal contributions to care in retirement homes and financial adjustments to make the division fairer between private and statutory nursing care insurance models.

Both ideas have met with skepticism from Linnemann.

The reform of the system has been made necessary by the growing number of people needing care as the population ages, which has raised costs.

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV), which also represents care insurance institutes, estimates a shortfall of €4.4 billion ($5 billion) this year, and €10 billion in 2027.  

Guten Tag from DW's newsroom on the still-running-but-just Rhine River in Bonn!

The conservative/center-left coalition government is still quibbling over proposed reforms to Germany's care system, with time running out to reach a deal.

It remains to be seen whether the Cabinet will be in a position to approve the package on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, police have targeted a money-laundering network and biker gangs in raids.

Read on for more on these and other stories.