The German care home co-payment, line by line
What the care home bill shows, why the amount is the same for every care grade and how to check it yourself with the contract.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Check the co-payment from your home contract
Co-payment per month
€3,375
| Supplement | 15 % = €315 |
| EEE after supplement | €1,785 |
The care home co-payment (Eigenanteil) is the part of the monthly fees a German care home resident pays personally, after the long-term care fund has paid its fixed amount under section 43 of Book XI of the Social Code and the supplement under section 43c. It has three parts. First, the uniform care co-payment (einrichtungseinheitlicher Eigenanteil, EEE) for care, supervision and medical treatment care, including the levy for nurse training; it is the same for every resident from grade 2 to 5 in a given home (section 84(2)). Second, board and lodging. Third, investment costs for the building and furnishings. On 1 July 2026 the national averages were €2,088, €1,068 and €521, together €3,677 before the supplement (vdek). Only the EEE is subsidised, by 15 percent in year one, leaving €3,364. If a home raises prices it must justify the increase in writing, and the new amount applies at the earliest 4 weeks after the notice arrives (section 9 of the Residential and Care Contracts Act, WBVG).
A care home bill at national averages
| Line | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Care rate (grade 3, example) | EEE + €1,319 | fund and resident |
| of which care fund payment (s. 43) | €1,319 | care fund |
| Uniform care co-payment (EEE) | €2,088 | resident, minus supplement |
| of which training levy | €150 | resident (part of the EEE) |
| Supplement in year 1 (15%) | minus €313 | care fund |
| Board and lodging | €1,068 | resident |
| Investment costs | €521 | resident, exceptions under state law |
| Co-payment | €3,364 | resident |
The fund pays twice: a fixed amount by grade and the supplement on the EEE. Both go straight to the home, and the resident only sees the remainder. Since 1 July 2026 the fund calculates the supplement itself from information supplied by the home (section 43c SGB XI).
Why the EEE is the same for every grade
The co-payment used to rise with the care grade, and families hesitated to ask for a higher grade. Since 2017 the law requires every home to set one uniform co-payment for grades 2 to 5 (section 84(2) SGB XI). The care rate itself rises with the grade, but the difference is fully covered by the fund, whose payment under section 43 rises accordingly. A higher grade in a home therefore costs the family nothing, although a more accurate grade can matter for aids and equipment.
Checking it yourself
With the contract the co-payment is easy to check: EEE times (1 minus the supplement rate), plus board, lodging and investment costs. Example: a home with an EEE of €2,300 in the 14th month of residence. The supplement is then 30 %, or €690, leaving €1,610 of the EEE. The calculator below adds the other items from your bill.
When the supplement rises next
Saving from next step
€313.20
| Supplement now | 15 % |
| next step in | 2 months |
Five mistakes seen on care home bills
- Supplement for the wrong month. It depends on the months in which the resident received long-term residential care, part months included. Changing homes does not reset the count. After months 12, 24 and 36 check that the new rate was applied.
- Short-term care counted wrongly. Months of short-term care do not count as long-term care under section 43; the supplement starts with the permanent place. If your parent stayed in the same home, check the date of the switch on the bill.
- Increase without proper reasons. Without a comparison of old and new amounts the higher fee is not yet owed.
- Extras without agreement. The home may not charge for services not in the contract.
- Absence billed wrongly. Hospital stays trigger reductions under the state framework agreement; ask if the bill for a month with a hospital week is unchanged.
Board and lodging
This covers the room, cleaning, laundry and meals and is never subsidised. Between states it differs by more than €400 a month: North Rhine-Westphalia is the most expensive, Lower Saxony the cheapest. It also depends on the room; many homes charge extra for a single room. For hospital stays or holidays, absence rules in the state’s framework agreement apply.
Investment costs
Investment costs finance construction, modernisation and maintenance. The states are supposed to fund care infrastructure; where they do little, residents pay. Some states help residents in need, such as the Pflegewohngeld in North Rhine-Westphalia. Increases due to investment are, moreover, only allowed where necessary and not covered by public funding (section 9(1) WBVG).
If the co-payment cannot be paid
If pension and savings are not enough, savings are used down to €10,000; the welfare office then covers the gap as social assistance for care. Children only contribute if their own annual income exceeds €100,000. See who pays for a care home. For families abroad, it helps to have the home send bills and price notices to an email address you check, so increases and missing supplements are noticed in time. A short monthly check against the calculator takes two minutes and catches most errors.