Eligibility for the program is on the rise.
Severely mentally ill individuals in Germany are facing long wait times for psychotherapy due to a mismatch between the availability of therapy spots and the efficient allocation of these spots. Despite health insurance companies claiming there is no inherent shortage of therapy places, the difficulty lies in the lack of centralized information on available spots and timely access to them, according to the Association of Health Insurers (GKV-Spitzenverband).
In 2023, more than half of the requests (54 percent) for psychological consultations were not mediated or not mediated within the prescribed four-week time frame. The mediation of follow-up treatment is also unsatisfactory, according to the Association.
To address this issue, the Association is advocating for a more organized approach to accessing psychological care. They believe that severely mentally ill individuals should not have to search for a therapy spot on their own. The proposed solution involves implementing a reporting obligation for psychotherapists, requiring them to report their available capacities and allowing appointments to be allocated centrally.
Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis, the deputy chair of the Association of Health Insurers, made these statements to the German Press Agency. The goal of these measures is to reduce long wait times for psychological treatments, particularly for severely mentally ill individuals.
Currently, mentally ill individuals in Germany often have to call multiple practices, leave messages, and wait for a callback to find a therapy spot. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians operates appointment service centers, but they are currently not meeting the prescribed time frame for mediating appointments.
To better meet demand for psychological treatments, the Association is considering a central allocation of appointments. They are also advocating for a reporting requirement for free therapy capacities. The Association finds the current situation of mediating psychological treatment appointments irresponsible and unsatisfactory.
The Association of Health Insurers has adopted a position paper on this issue, outlining their proposals for improving access to psychological care in Germany. The paper is a call to action for all stakeholders involved in the provision of mental health services to work together to reduce wait times and improve the overall experience for those seeking help.
[1] Source: German Press Agency (dpa) and the Association of Health Insurers.
- To improve the current situation, the Association of Health Insurers proposes a community policy that includes a centralized reporting obligation for psychotherapists, providing information on available vocational training opportunities in therapies-and-treatments related to health-and-wellness and mental-health, aimed at reducing the time severely mentally ill individuals wait for psychotherapy.
- In addition to the proposed central allocation of appointments, the Association is also advocating for vocational training programs for mental health professionals to enhance their skillset in science-based interventions and holistic care approaches, promoting a comprehensive and effective approach to mental health care in Germany.
