# Insurance for home care and domiciliary support services in Germany

> A home care service (ambulanter Pflegedienst) works in dozens of other people's homes every day, with other people's keys, caring for people who fall, develop pressure sores or react badly to the wrong medication. Your carers drive thousands of kilometres a month to do it. The expensive claims are a care error with consequences, the lost master key of a housing complex and the accident on the round. This page shows what you must cover and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-home-care.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Who pays if a carer loses a patient's key?

Public liability, provided the loss of other people's keys is included, and with a high enough sum. For a single flat key it means a new lock; for a master key or the locking system of a housing complex it quickly means €10,000 to €50,000. Many basic tariffs set low limits here, so this figure belongs at the top of your checklist.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Motor liability for every vehicle; for the care contract under § 72 SGB XI (the German long term care act), the long term care insurers in practice require proof of business liability
- **Biggest risk:** A care error causing harm, such as a fall, pressure sore or mixed up medication
- **Basic cover from:** about €120 a year for the public liability policy of a small service
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGW, the Berufsgenossenschaft for health and welfare services; as the owner you are normally insured there compulsorily too
- **Often forgotten:** Lost keys: replacing the locking system of a housing complex quickly costs five figures
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 88.10 Soziale Betreuung von älteren Menschen und von Menschen mit Behinderung

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Care errors:** A fall during a transfer, a pressure sore, a scald while washing, wrongly prepared medication: injuries to people in need of care often become expensive and drawn out.
- **Keys in other hands:** Your rounds depend on dozens of keys. If one is lost, whole locking systems often have to be replaced.
- **Accidents on the round:** Tight schedules, many kilometres, double parking: small cars in home care see a lot of damage.
- **Damage in the home:** A care bed is damaged, a washing machine overflows, a vase breaks. That is damage to other people's property in your care.
- **Backs and infections:** Lifting, positioning, needlesticks and infections: carers run a high risk of workplace accidents and occupational diseases.
- **Billing and data:** Round planning, care documentation and billing are digital. An outage stops visits and payments.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 2, Theft 2, Cyber 3, Downtime 3, Health 5

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for care errors, damage in homes and lost keys, and is a precondition for the care contract with the long term care insurers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Essential): Motor liability is compulsory; from three vehicles a fleet policy is usually cheaper than separate policies. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Helps when round planning, documentation or billing are encrypted and health data is affected. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces office, IT and care aids after fire, burst pipes and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For disputes with long term care insurers over billing, with the Medical Service (Medizinischer Dienst) or with relatives. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Complements the Berufsgenossenschaft and pays your carers for accidents in their free time too. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Company pension (bAV)** (Depends on the business): Carers are scarce; a company pension or health insurance helps you keep them. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-pension.php
- **Company health insurance** (Depends on the business): Company health insurance is a popular extra in care for attracting skilled staff. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-health-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend mainly on the number of carers, turnover, medical treatment care and intensive care, and the number of vehicles. The fleet is often the biggest item.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Small care service, up to five staff, €3 million cover | about €120 to €400 a year |
| Business liability | Service with 10 to 20 staff and medical treatment care, lost keys up to €100,000 | about €400 to €1,000 a year |
| Fleet insurance | Per small car on rounds, liability and fully comprehensive | about €500 to €1,000 a year |
| Cyber insurance | Care service with digital round planning and billing | about €400 to €1,000 a year |
| Business legal expenses | Care service with employees and contracts with the care insurers | about €500 to €1,200 a year |

For comparison: Public liability and office contents cost about as much a year as two monthly lease payments for a small car on your rounds.

_Guide prices as of September 2026, based on published tariff examples and on our own quoting practice. Intensive care and shared care flats are priced separately; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Pflegedienst gründen: Versicherungen für Pflegedienste](https://pflegedienst-gruenden.eu/versicherungen.html)
- [Verivox: Betriebshaftpflicht für ambulante Pflegedienste](https://www.verivox.de/betriebshaftpflichtversicherung/ambulanter-pflegedienst/)
- [Finanzchef24: Berufshaftpflicht für Pflegedienste](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/pflegedienst)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Starter** (new service with a few carers and two vehicles): Business liability, Fleet insurance, Business contents. Together: about €1,500 to €3,000 a year
- **Care service** (service with 10 to 25 staff, medical treatment care and its own fleet): Business liability, Fleet insurance, Business contents, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about €5,000 to €12,000 a year
- **All round** (larger service with intensive care, shared care flats and staff retention benefits): Business liability, Fleet insurance, Business contents, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses, Group accident insurance, Company pension (bAV), Company health insurance. Together: about €12,000 to €30,000 a year

## The worst day in the home care service

Six things that really happen in home care services, all on a single Monday. Click through the day and see who pays.

- 06:20: On the early round a company car slides on a wet road into a parked car. (€7,000, Paid by: Fleet insurance)
- 07:45: During a transfer from bed to wheelchair a patient falls and breaks her hip. (€35,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:30: The master key of a sheltered housing complex is lost and the locking system has to be replaced. (€22,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:10: The round planning system is encrypted; nobody knows who has to go where today. (€16,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 14:00: After an audit the care insurer cuts your invoices; you object and go to court. (€8,000, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 16:30: During a shower, water runs into the flat below because the drain was blocked. (€5,500, Paid by: Business liability)

**Damage so far:** €93,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Set cover for lost keys, including other people's keys and locking systems, at no less than €100,000.
- Name every service in the policy: basic care, medical treatment care, intensive care, support, domestic help and shared care flats.
- Include damage to property in your care, such as the care bed or patients' aids.
- Clarify how your staff's private cars are insured on business trips; business travel comprehensive cover closes this gap.
- Keep careful records of care and information given: in a liability case the care documentation is your most important evidence.
- Check the sum insured if you take on intensive care: ventilated patients mean a considerably higher risk.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We know everyday care work:** As a broker we compare several insurers and pay attention to where care services come unstuck: keys, property in your care and intensive care.
- **We know settlement from the inside:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. That knowledge helps when the care documentation is examined after a fall.
- **Business, fleet and team in one place:** Liability, vehicles, staff benefits and your private cover are handled by one contact.
- **Family business since 1989:** Advice is free, as the insurer pays our commission. We are reachable even when your day starts at six.

## FAQ

### Is business liability insurance compulsory for home care services in Germany?

No law requires it expressly, but in practice you will not get a care contract with the long term care insurers without proof of it. It is therefore a precondition for billing.

### How much does public liability cost for a home care service?

For small services about €120 to €400 a year; for services with 10 to 20 staff and medical treatment care usually €400 to €1,000. Vehicles come on top.

### Do my carers need their own professional liability?

Not for work in your service; they are covered by your business liability. Anyone doing freelance care on the side needs their own.

### Are staff cars insured on business trips?

The employee's motor liability applies, but damage to their own car is paid only by their comprehensive cover, and their no claims discount suffers. Business travel comprehensive cover taken out by the company closes this gap.

### Am I insured with the BGW as the owner of a care service?

Self employed people in care are normally insured with the BGW by law. Check your insured amount, as it determines the benefits after an accident.

### What happens if a carer injures a patient?

The patient or their health insurer claims compensation from the care service. Your business liability examines the claim, pays justified demands and fends off unjustified ones.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-home-care.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.