德國於一九九四年所開辦的照護保險，其作為傳統俾斯麥模式的強制性社會保險體系之第五分支，在德國社會史上必將有其歷史地位。本文乃嘗試說明，為何照護需求在德國的社會結構，被視為是一種集體性的社會風險，並決定透過社會保險的方式來提供具照護需求者妥善的保障。現行照護保險制度其施行原則與實施架構，不僅維持了德國傳統社會保險體系的內在一致性及穩定性，同時為因應整體社會結構的變遷，亦發展出若干的創新性。德國照護保險制度開辦的背景，亦如我國一般，乃是面臨人口結構高齡化、家庭形式改變、以及各級政府沈重財政負擔等等。是以，擷取德國此一新開辦的照護保險制度之經驗，應可作為我國相關制度規劃之參考。

　　　　　In Germany, after several heated debates care insurance was established in 1994. As a fifth branch of Bismarck's compulsory social-insurance systems, care-insurance has an important status in German social history. This paper seeks to explore why the need of care in German social structure is treated as a collective social risk and why members of society are protected against such risk through the social insurance model. The principles and schemes of care-insurance in Germany not only maintain the inter-consistency and stability of traditional German social-insurance systems but also adapt oneself to the change of social structure and develop a couple of innovations. The backgrounds for establishing German care-insurance are the same as Taiwan that confront with the ageing populations, changes of family form and burdens of social expenditure etc. Therefore, the German care-insurance experience is a good reference for the plan of relative social policies in Taiwan.