Germany's governing coalition is split over a bill to close a projected 4.4 billion euro shortfall in statutory long-term care insurance, which the health minister is due to bring to cabinet on Wednesday. CDU deputy leader Karl-Josef Laumann rejected the Social Democrats' demands, including a cap on nursing-home costs and a contribution from private insurers, as unaffordable and legally difficult, and backed calls for the finance ministry to return 5–6 billion euros in pandemic aid to the fund. The dispute matters because the SPD has threatened to block a savings-only law, and without agreement contributions in Europe's largest economy could rise further.