The Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists (BPtK) has sharply criticized the decision of the Extended Evaluation Committee to reduce the remuneration of psychotherapeutic services by 4.5 percent as of April 1, 2026. Even taking into account the structural surcharges, which were raised by 14.25 percent at the same time, there is a net reduction of about 2.8 percent for practices that receive these surcharges in full. The health insurance companies had initially demanded significantly stronger cuts.

The BPtK sees this as an unjustified austerity policy. Psychotherapeutic practices are already burdened by rising costs and persistent inflation. The fees are the lowest in any case compared to other specialist groups of statutory health insurance physicians. According to data from the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance (ZI), psychotherapists generate a surplus of about 52 euros per hour of work after deducting practice costs – only half of the average general practitioner and specialist practices. Since psychotherapeutic services are largely time-bound, there is no possibility of compensating for this by increasing the number of cases.

The review of remuneration per unit of time, which is prescribed by law and by the case law of the Federal Social Court (BSG), is actually intended to ensure a minimum fee. However, this instrument is abused by the health insurance companies to convert a minimum fee into an upper limit. In the calculation for 2026, the achievable income of psychotherapists was also compared with the average income of the specialist groups from 2024 – although the orientation point value has risen by 6.8 percent in the meantime.

The BPtK announced that it would take legal action again if necessary in order to achieve an appropriate remuneration. The chamber emphasized that such a reduction would be unthinkable in other collective bargaining negotiations.

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Psychotherapy: National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds plans a lump-sum fee reduction of ten percent – MedLabPortal

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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