Hardly anyone at 25 thinks about long-term care. Yet the long-term care supplementary insurance (Pflegezusatzversicherung) is often offered at exactly this age, because the premiums are low and the health questions are usually straightforward. Whether an early start makes sense or whether the money works better elsewhere depends on your situation. This guide sets out the arguments for and against taking out cover at 25.
Short answer: A long-term care supplementary insurance closes gaps that statutory long-term care insurance leaves open. Care allowance (Pflegegeld) is paid from care level 2 onwards; at care level 3 it is 599 euros a month (Stand: October 2026, values from 1 January 2025 according to the Federal Ministry of Health, BMG). Whether taking out cover at 25 suits you depends on your budget, your health and the tariff conditions. Stand: October 2026.
The Most Important Points at a Glance
- Statutory long-term care insurance pays benefits according to the care level, but often does not cover all the costs of care.
- An early start brings lower premiums and often simpler health questions, but a long contribution period.
- Whether a supplement makes sense depends on whether a care case would seriously endanger your financial situation.
- Important factors are the type of benefit (daily care allowance or cost reimbursement), the development of premiums and the conditions that apply in a care case.
- A reserve can be an alternative or addition to a long-term contract, because it is more flexible.
What Does Statutory Long-Term Care Insurance Pay?
Statutory social long-term care insurance (soziale Pflegeversicherung) pays benefits according to the care level (Pflegegrad). Care level 1 mainly receives a relief allowance (Entlastungsbetrag). From care level 2, there is care allowance (Pflegegeld) or care in kind (Pflegesachleistungen). The current amounts are set out in § 37 and § 36 SGB XI and published by the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesgesundheitsministerium, BMG; Federal Gazette of 12 December 2024). The following values have applied since 1 January 2025: care allowance at care level 2 of 347 euros, at care level 3 of 599 euros, at care level 4 of 800 euros and at care level 5 of 990 euros per month.
| Care level | Care allowance per month | Care in kind per month |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 347 euros | 796 euros |
| 3 | 599 euros | 1,497 euros |
| 4 | 800 euros | 1,859 euros |
| 5 | 990 euros | 2,299 euros |
Stand: October 2026, values in force since 1 January 2025 under § 37 and § 36 SGB XI. The amounts only change through a statutory adjustment; before you decide, check the overview of the Federal Ministry of Health.
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband (the umbrella association of statutory health insurers), contributions to the social long-term care insurance amount to 3.6 percent. For people without children, a surcharge of 0.6 percentage points applies from the month after they turn 23. If you are a student with statutory health insurance and have no children, the contribution is calculated on a base of 855 euros a month. This results in 35.91 euros a month (Stand: 1 January 2026). You will find more on this rule in the glossary on long-term care insurance and the childless surcharge (in German).
What Does a Care Supplement Actually Mean?
A long-term care supplementary insurance is a private addition. It does not pay the statutory benefits, but supplements them depending on the contract. There are two common models. The daily care allowance (Pflegetagegeld) pays a fixed amount per day or per month, regardless of the costs actually incurred. The care cost insurance (Pflegekostenversicherung), by contrast, reimburses costs up to an agreed limit, usually upon proof.
Both models have advantages and disadvantages. The daily allowance is easier to understand and can be used freely, but it may not match the actual need exactly. Cost reimbursement covers the concrete need, but it requires proof and has limits. Read the benefit overview carefully before you choose a model. The distinction between full and supplementary cover helps in understanding the logic of a supplement: full cover or supplementary insurance: the difference (in German).
Why Taking Out Cover at 25 Can Make Sense for Some
Anyone who starts early generally pays lower premiums than someone who starts later. This is mainly due to the age at which the contract is taken out, because health risks rise with the years. In addition, the health questions are often less extensive for young people, and pre-existing conditions are less likely to have an effect.
Another advantage is planning security. Anyone who takes out a contract early does not have to decide under pressure when a care case has already occurred in the family. At that point, new contracts are often no longer available or only on markedly worse terms. Anyone who concludes the contract early has the protection in view before a care situation arises in the family. Especially when parents or grandparents become dependent on care, it quickly becomes clear how much money a care case can actually cost.
When Is Taking Out Cover at 25 Rather Too Early?
The other side of the coin is that a care case at a young age is rare. You pay contributions over many years without the benefit ever being needed. During your studies the budget is often tight, and every euro has to be weighed. If the monthly premium endangers spending on rent, groceries or health insurance, a care supplement is rather secondary.
In addition, tariffs can change. Premiums are adjusted in many cases, and the benefits may differ from what was promised depending on the conditions. Pay attention to the rules on premium adjustments and to the conditions under which a benefit is actually triggered. How premiums can develop over the years is also explained in the guide on planning long-term health costs during your studies (in German).
Calculation Example: How Big Is the Gap?
Assumption: A care need is at care level 3, and the total monthly care costs amount to 1,000 euros. The statutory care allowance of 599 euros covers 599 euros of this. The remaining gap is then 401 euros a month. A care supplement would have to cover this sum, or part of it, to close the gap.
The example is deliberately simplified. The actual costs depend on the form of housing, the type of care and the region. Anyone living in a facility has different figures, because separate rules apply there to full inpatient care. The BMG table contains separate values for this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be accepted for a care supplement if I have pre-existing conditions?
That depends on the provider and the type of pre-existing condition. Some contracts accept applicants with restrictions, while others refuse or demand surcharges. You should answer the health questions completely and truthfully, as explained in the guide on the health check (in German).
Is statutory long-term care insurance already enough?
It pays benefits according to the care level, but usually does not cover all the costs of care. The gap depends on the type of care, the care level and the place of residence. There is therefore no general answer.
Is there state funding for a care supplement?
Funding for private long-term care provision has changed in the past and may change again. Check the current position directly with the responsible federal ministry before you base your decision on it.
Can I take out the contract later, when I have more money?
Yes, that is possible, but premiums rise with age, and the health check is usually stricter. Anyone who starts later therefore generally pays more and has a higher risk of surcharges or exclusions.
What to Do Now
- Work out which care costs would arise in an emergency and which benefits statutory long-term care insurance already provides for them.
- Clarify your budget for the coming years before you commit to a contract.
- Compare daily care allowance and cost reimbursement based on the benefit overview and the conditions for premium adjustments.
- Answer the health questions completely and truthfully.
- If necessary, have your decision reviewed personally before you sign an application.
Related Reading
- Full cover or supplementary insurance: the difference (in German)
- Supplementary insurance for students: which building blocks are worth it (in German)
- Long-term care insurance and the childless surcharge explained (in German)
- Planning long-term health costs during your studies: reserves and cover (in German)
- How Academycon works: personal advice for students (in German)
Sources: Benefit amounts of the social long-term care insurance from 1.1.2025, Federal Ministry of Health (Stand: October 2026); § 37 SGB XI: care allowance (Stand: October 2026); § 36 SGB XI: care in kind (Stand: October 2026); Fact sheet on calculation variables for contribution law 2026, GKV-Spitzenverband (Stand: 1 January 2026).
Stand: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
