Concerns are mounting over persistent lengthy waiting times for psychotherapy services, prompting calls for significant changes to access procedures. Statutory health insurance providers are advocating for mandatory reporting of available treatment capacities by therapists and a centralized appointment allocation system.
“We do not lack psychotherapy places; the issue lies in the accessibility for those most in need, particularly individuals experiencing severe mental health conditions” stated Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis, Vice-Chair of the German Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, in a recent statement. Currently, patients often face a frustrating and inefficient process, contacting multiple practices, leaving messages and awaiting infrequent callbacks.
The health insurance providers assert that this situation is unacceptable and are demanding a more structured and organized approach to psychotherapeutic care, as outlined in a position paper recently approved by the association’s administrative board.
The proposed changes include a legal requirement for therapists to report a “reasonable” number of available appointment slots and half of their treatment places to the health insurance providers’ appointment service centers. This reporting would ostensibly improve visibility and facilitate access for patients.
These appointment service centers are legally obligated to arrange initial psychotherapy appointments within a four-week timeframe, a goal that, according to the association, is frequently unmet. Data from 2023 indicates that over half (54%) of inquiries were not fulfilled or delivered within the prescribed period. Furthermore, the association describes the ongoing process of securing further treatment appointments as unsatisfactory. In 2023, only 365,000 such appointments were offered, translating to a mere nine appointments per year per therapist across the nation’s 40,000 psychotherapists.