Germany’s statutory health insurance providers are advocating for significant changes to the system of accessing psychotherapy, citing persistent long wait times and an inefficient allocation of available treatment slots. A position paper, recently approved by the health insurance providers’ administrative board, proposes a mandatory reporting system for therapists’ vacant capacities and a centralized appointment allocation process.
The primary concern, according to Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis, Vice-Chair of the umbrella association for health insurance providers, isn’t a lack of therapists, but rather a difficulty individuals, particularly those with severe mental health conditions, face in securing appointments. The current system often requires patients to contact numerous practices, leave messages and wait for a callback that frequently doesn’t arrive.
To address this, the health insurance providers are calling for legislation requiring therapists to report a “reasonable” number of appointment slots and half of their treatment capacities to appointment service centers operated by regional medical associations. This move aims to improve visibility of available resources and streamline the allocation of treatment opportunities.
These appointment service centers are legally obligated to arrange initial psychotherapy consultations within a four-week timeframe. However, the health insurance providers contend that this objective is consistently unmet. Data from 2023 reveals that over half (54%) of inquiries were either not addressed or not fulfilled within the stipulated timeframe. Furthermore, the referral process for ongoing treatment is also deemed unsatisfactory, with the association reporting a meagre 365,000 appointments offered across Germany’s 40,000 psychotherapists in 2023, averaging just nine appointments per therapist annually. The proposed changes aim to rectify these shortcomings and provide a more organized and readily accessible system for individuals seeking psychotherapy.
