Monitoring for the Regulation of Psychological Psychotherapy

Since July 1, 2022, psychological psychotherapists have been able to independently practice and bill separately on medical orders and at the expense of compulsory health insurance. We analyzed the cost development in connection with this new regulation. In the first half of 2023, the costs of psychological psychotherapy increased by CHF 96 million (35%) compared to the first half of 2022. Half of this cost increase is attributed to tariff increases. Just under 30%, or CHF 27.5 million, cannot be explained by observable factors such as population growth, long-term cost growth, or the aforementioned tariff increase. The study also analyzes the (cantonal) healthcare provision structure and prescription practices.