own contribution
Co-payments for nursing home care continue to rise
Care in a nursing home is expensive. Photo: Bodo Schackow/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Many nursing home residents and their families are dealing with growing financial pressures. At the start of the year things went up again. Does a new cost brake have an effect?
For those in need of care, co-payments for care in the home have increased further. As of January 1st, a nationwide average of 2179 euros per month was due out of pocket, according to new data from the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds. That was 111 euros more than at the beginning of 2021.
However, there are still large regional differences. In a country comparison, the most expensive residential places are in North Rhine-Westphalia with an average of 2542 euros and in Baden-Württemberg with 2541 euros. The lowest was the burden in Saxony-Anhalt with 1588 euros per month. At the beginning of the year, however, the first relief that the old federal government had initiated will also take effect.
new regulations
On the one hand, the sums include the personal contribution for pure care and support. Unlike health insurance, long-term care insurance only pays part of the costs. For residents of the home, however, there are also costs for accommodation, meals and also for investments in the facilities. The personal contribution alone for pure care has now risen to 912 euros on average nationwide, after it had been 831 euros on January 1, 2021.
To protect against heavier burdens, new regulations of a care reform came into force at the beginning of the year. In addition to the payments from the care insurance fund, residents now receive a surcharge that increases with the length of care. The personal contribution for pure care should fall by 5 percent in the first year in the home, by 25 percent in the second, by 45 percent in the third and by 70 percent from the fourth year. The honorary chairman of the Association of Substitute Funds (vdek), Uwe Klemens, told the German Press Agency that the development of the own shares must be closely monitored. If necessary, further containment measures are necessary.
rising costs
According to the new data, co-payments for pure care have not only increased. As of January 1, 801 euros per month were due for accommodation and meals nationwide – after 779 euros at the beginning of 2021. The average additional payment for investment costs in the homes was 466 euros per month (January 1, 2021: 458 euros).
The care reform also aims to improve wages for caregivers. From September 1st, there may only be supply contracts with institutions that pay according to collective agreements or at a similar level. According to the Ministry of Labour, in geriatric care with around 1.2 million employees, only just under half receive standard wages. For financing, the care contribution for people aged 23 and over without children rose from 3.3 to 3.4 percent on January 1st. In addition, the federal government now gives one billion euros a year as a subsidy to long-term care insurance.