The Social Democratic Party (SPD) plans to introduce a “care ceiling” (Pflegedeckel), according to a concept recently submitted by Saarland Health Minister Magnus Jung. This concept, which the SPD intends to adopt, is designed to cap the personal financial burden on care recipients.
The policy targets the “Facility Unitary Own Share” (EEE). In the initial phase of the proposal, the party suggests limiting this share to a maximum of €1,500. This restriction could potentially reduce personal costs by about €275 per month during the first year of residency. However, the concept notes that in later years, the ceiling might yield fewer savings as the portion contributed by the long-term care insurance increases.
The second stage of the proposed reform involves setting the limitation at €1,500 and subsequently applying the subsidy to that reduced amount. This approach would ensure that the care recipient’s personal contribution consistently remains significantly below the €1,500 threshold. The implementation costs are estimated at approximately one billion euros for the first step and around three billion euros for the second.
Currently, care home costs are composed of several components: charges for accommodation and meals, investment and maintenance expenses, costs related to elderly care training, and the cost of care and assistance, which is financed proportionally.
According to the Association of Ersatz Funds (VdEK), the average out-of-pocket expense for care recipients across Germany is currently €3,364. The majority of this amount is attributed to the EEE, which averages €1,775 during the first year of stay, according to the VdEK. While the care insurance covers 15 percent of the costs in the first year, this contribution grows as the duration of the stay lengthens, causing the own share to gradually decrease over time.
To finance this new policy, the concept paper proposes several countermeasures, including raising the contribution assessment ceiling, encouraging a greater involvement from private long-term care insurance, and securing a higher financial contribution from the federal budget.
