From Monday 5 February 2024, new conditions for the coverage of technical aids and housing adaptations by long-term care insurance will be introduced and two technical aids will be added to the list of technical aids covered by long-term care insurance.

Long-term care insurance can cover technical aids or contribute to the costs of adapting housing “to enable the person to maintain or increase their independent living in the areas of personal hygiene, preparation of meals and mobility inside and outside the home”. Furthermore, technical aids can be provided in the areas of nutrition, dressing, household maintenance assistance activities and verbal or written communication. They can also meet safety, prevention and pain relief needs and make the caregiver's task easier.

Technical aids are made available free of charge to the person who needs them, and accommodation adaptations are covered on the advice of the State Office for Assessment and Monitoring of the long-term care insurance (Administration d'évaluation et de contrôle – AEC).

A regulatory modification of these services was necessary to introduce coverage by long-term care insurance of autonomous smoke detectors for deaf or hard-of-hearing people, to follow up on the law of 6 December 2019, relating to the compulsory installation of autonomous smoke detectors in buildings. Due to the inflationary context and advancements in technology, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health and Social Security noted it took the opportunity to enhance the maximum support amounts.

With the publication of the Grand-Ducal regulation of 24 January 2024, amending the amended regulation of 22 December 2006, new conditions therefore came into force. New technical aids added to the list of technical aids covered by long-term care insurance were the autonomous smoke detector for hard-of-hearing or deaf people and stair aid devices with guide rail.

Additionally, there has been an increase in maximum support amounts:

  • the maximum amount of support per technical aid, the maximum amount of support for housing adaptation and the positions relating to car adaptations and their technical inspection have all been increased from €28,000 to €35,000, respectively;
  • the maximum amount of support for participation in rental costs (maximum amount/month) was increased from €350/month to €450/month;
  • the maximum amount of support for guide dogs for the blind was increased from €20,500 to €23,000;
  • the maximum support amount for bed bases was increased from €1,500 to €2,500;
  • the maximum support amounts for handrails and guardrails (per linear meter including any fittings) were increased from €160 to €350 for handrails and from €425 to €650 for guardrails, respectively;
  • the maximum support amount for light filters was increased from €600 to €800.