Saarland Prime Minister Rehlinger proposes capping care costs

Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger's proposal to cap the personal contribution to the costs of a nursing home place has met with a fundamentally positive response. The board member of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brysch, said that limiting pure care costs is good and important. However, there is no need to wait for care reform to provide relief.

Rehlinger told the Funke media group that the care reform was intended to limit the costs of inpatient care for those affected. “Reforms must improve people’s lives,” said the SPD politician. She advocated capping the personal contribution for those in need of care at 1,500 euros. This can be financed within the insurance system and in many cases massively relieves the burden on those in need of care and their relatives. “That would be a point that could be used to aggressively promote an overall package.”

Patient Protection Foundation: No need to wait for nursing care reform

According to an evaluation by the Association of Substitute Insurance Funds, as of July 1st, a nationwide average of 3,364 euros per month had to be paid out of one's own pocket in the first year in the home, which is 119 euros more per month than at the beginning of the year and 256 euros more than on July 1st, 2025. The black-red coalition at the federal level is currently working on a care reform.

Brysch from the German Foundation for Patient Protection said that even if pure care costs were limited, everyone would still have to pay for their own accommodation, food and extra comfort. “Anke Rehlinger and the other country leaders could act today.” It is important to cover the investment and training costs in full. “The state governments don’t have to wait for the black-red coalition’s nursing reform.”

Relief, especially for shorter stays at home

In the opinion of the German Social Association, limiting the care-related personal contribution is also going in the right direction. “It would primarily protect those in need of care from further increases in their own contributions in the future,” said CEO Michaela Engelmeier. Such a cap would primarily be a temporary solution and relief for shorter stays at home.

Thanks to the nursing care fund's subsidies, which are staggered according to the length of stay, the care-related personal contribution decreases as the length of stay increases, she explained. After the first year, the national average is around 1,462 euros, and from the fourth year onwards it is around 522 euros.

The aim must be comprehensive long-term care insurance that fully covers the care-related costs as a classic insurance benefit and thus fully covers the long-term care risk, Engelmeier continued. This does not release the states from their responsibility for investment and training costs. “These must no longer end up with those in need of care, but must be financed by the federal states.”