Office hours, acute AIDS, assistance in the therapist search: In April 2017, the psycho was reformed in therapeutic care, is fundamental. Since then, can go legally Insured persons with mental health problems directly to the psychotherapist in a clinic. This can be reached more easily by phone and are able to offer in acute crises in a timely manner meetings.
The big goal: the long cut waiting times. The Insured should be able to have a first conversation with a psychotherapist and at the therapy place needs more of a Treatment.
A year after the Reform psychotherapists associations are now on the balance sheet. In addition to small plus points, there is a big Minus. The Federal chamber of psychotherapists (BPtK) has released on Wednesday the results of a survey of more than 9400 psychotherapists with Treasury approval.
The good news
The consultation comes in as well: “From the first call to the first personal interview, pass only 5.7 weeks,” says the President of the BPtK, Dietrich Munz. It was still a lot of time, but still about seven weeks less than in a comparable survey in 2011. “The practices have become focal points for psychological problems,” the BPtK-Chairman. A quarter of the psychotherapists reported that now people from precarious social conditions, with a migrant background, as well as contact the Elderly and men, but also those who suffer long years of a disease, rather of you. That’s the good news.
The bad news
The patients need a comprehensive system of psychotherapy, and wait as before. On average it takes 20 weeks from the first call in a practice up to the beginning of a therapy. “Almost five months. This is much too long,” says Munz. In this time, you can aggravate diseases or chronic. In fact, the waiting time is slightly shorter than in 2011. With the Reform that has little to do, writes the BPtK.
- For one, since 2010, about 2500 additional cash were approvals to psychotherapists in the country awarded.
- On the other, would share in the meantime, every third therapist his full-time cash sitting with a colleague. In 2010, that was only one out of every 17. Therapist.
Two therapists will share a full seat, to provide a total of more appointments than a Single with a full seat.
The health insurance companies have on the therapist, if you are approached on the waiting times. A core problem is that many psychotherapists work only part time, but a whole Treasury approval to occupy, said Florian Lanz, spokesman of the GKV-leading organization. “Here, we expect the BPtK more commitment to their members, instead of just on others.”
“The Reform has created not only additional treatment hour”, complained against Munz. Rather, a third of the cash in reduced therapist your treatment times, office hours, telephone service and emergency assistance. Every second psychotherapist must point therapy to needy patients after the consultation to colleagues, because there is no Treatment. For many Sufferers, the great quest and the great Wait begins.
At the same time administrator of the funds patients honor more and more often, a treatment in the private as well qualified therapists. In this way, the Concerned legally. (SPIEGEL ONLINE reported.)
Legally Insured can go to in the framework of the reimbursement procedure also in the case of state-recognised psychotherapists with no cash admission to free places. Under certain circumstances, the insurance will cover the costs. The therapists, patients, and organizations complained, however, since the Reform is increasingly that the health insurance companies would block this alternative way.
The German psychotherapists Association occupied the now with Numbers. They surveyed 422 psychotherapist with a private practice, about their experiences since April of 2017. It is clear What the funds increases so far as a “theoretical plate,” or false allegations of meadows, apparently System. The private therapists were according to the survey, since the Reform, a similar number of applications for reimbursement of costs as before. Almost all of the applications for the patients were prior to April 2017 successful, it is since the Reform in the case of the respondents, only every fourth.
The reasons for rejection are outrageous:
- About half of all therapists reported that applications have been rejected with the note, the reimbursement exist since 1. April 2017 not more. In fact, this is written in the book of the social code.
- Six out of ten respondents reported that, on the date of service was referred to, because this would provide a place for Therapy. They convey but only appointments in office hours or acute therapies. A treatment course is not so sure.
- Nearly 40 percent of the interviewed therapists also experienced that the funds communicate to their patients that waiting times are quite reasonable, even if you previously by another physician, or psychotherapist was to certify that a treatment is urgent.
- Some patients have been informed that a drug treatment would be sufficient for you.
“The decision to pay for a treatment in a private practice, is not at the discretion of the insurance companies,” replies the member of Parliament Maria Klein-Schmeink, health policy spokesperson of the Alliance 90/The Greens. Insured does not have a legal claim, if a psychotherapist were inside and psychotherapists with cash approval available. The Federal government should therefore ensure that the Affected get their justice and not for reasons of cost savings from your insurance companies be dismissed.
In a small request, they made the Federal government in March to the still prevailing Problem. Their answer disappointed you. “The government will open the topic a little. It is, however, not to have plastic surgery, but a basic level of care that is lacking,” she says. It is not lacking in Germany, even to a psychotherapist. The wait times were a result of inadequate planning, she says. The Problem: home-made and preventable. “In the Reform,” she says, “was only acted half-heartedly.”
“What really works, there are additional cash approvals for psychotherapists,” stresses BPtK-President of Munz. The have shown the survey of the chamber. It calls, therefore, for 7000 more box-office seats.