People in need of care and their relatives in Saxony have to pay more for a place in a care home than they did a year ago. According to an analysis by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (vdek), the monthly co-payment in the state rose to an average of €2,986 as of January 1, 2026. This is €266 more than at the beginning of 2025 (€2,720).
Big differences in the federal states
There are major regional differences. In a state comparison, the most expensive care in the first year in a home as of January 1 was in Bremen with an average of 3,637 euros per month and in Saarland with 3,601 euros. The lowest monthly burden in the first year in a care home was now in Saxony-Anhalt at 2,720 euros and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony at 2,903 euros each.
The head of the board of the Ersatzkassenverband, Ulrike Elsner, said that sustainable financing of care was needed, which would also significantly relieve the burden on those in need of care in care homes. They would have to pay for investment and training costs, which are the responsibility of the state. "We are calling on the federal states to finally cover these costs," said Elsner. The black-red coalition is aiming for a fundamental reform of care financing this year.
