The Insurance You Get Whether You Ask or Not
When you take out private health insurance in Germany, a second policy arrives with it automatically: private compulsory long-term care insurance (private Pflegepflichtversicherung, PPV). Care insurance has been mandatory for everyone in Germany since 1995 — GKV members pay it through the social care system, and PKV members must insure the same risk privately, always with the same insurer as their health cover.
Good to know: PPV benefits are identical to those of the statutory care system by law. Unlike PKV health premiums, PPV premiums are capped at the maximum contribution of the social care insurance — and children are covered without any premium at all.
What Long-Term Care Insurance Covers
PPV pays benefits when you need help with daily living due to illness, disability or age. Benefits depend on your assessed care grade (Pflegegrad 1–5) and include:
- Care allowance (Pflegegeld) when family members provide care at home
- In-kind care benefits for professional outpatient care services
- Contributions to residential care home costs
- Aids, home modifications and respite care benefits
Assessments for privately insured members are carried out by Medicproof rather than the statutory medical service, but the criteria and care grades are the same.
What It Costs
PPV premiums are risk-rated by entry age but with important social caps:
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Premium ceiling | Capped at the maximum social care contribution |
| Children | Covered premium-free |
| Civil servants (Beihilfe) | Pay a reduced share (beihilfekonforme PPV) |
| Employer subsidy | Employees receive a contribution, as with health premiums |
| Health questions | Acceptance is compulsory for the insurer — no rejection |
The Coverage Gap Nobody Should Ignore
Whether statutory or private, compulsory care insurance is deliberately only partial cover. Residential care routinely costs far more than the insurance pays; the difference comes from your pension, savings — or your children. That is why many advisers recommend supplementary care insurance (Pflegezusatzversicherung), such as a Pflegetagegeld policy paying a fixed daily amount per care grade. Taken out young and healthy, it is inexpensive; taken out late, it is costly or unavailable.
The Bottom Line
PPV is the quiet companion of every PKV policy: identical benefits to the statutory system, capped premiums, free cover for children and guaranteed acceptance. Budget for it alongside your health premium — and think early about whether a supplementary care policy should close the substantial gap that compulsory care insurance leaves open by design.
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