Around 400 psychotherapists protested in front of the Federal Ministry of Health in Berlin against a planned reduction in fees. Starting April 1, their remuneration is set to decrease by 4.5 percent after the Extended Evaluation Committee made the decision at short notice. Many participants express a lack of understanding and see this as a sign of insufficient appreciation for their profession as well as a threat to patient care.
Representatives of professional associations warn of significant consequences. Mental illnesses are among the most common causes of sick leave and early retirement. A devaluation of the profession could result in fewer new professionals entering the field. Medical societies and associations criticize the decision as short-sighted and emphasize that outpatient care will be weakened. People with mental illnesses are expected to be particularly affected.
The demand for psychotherapeutic care is high. According to the Federal Medical Register, 41,937 therapists participate in statutory healthcare, an increase of 64 percent since 2013. In 2025, 1.9 million treatment cases were billed per quarter. Statutory health insurance funds spend around 4.6 billion euros annually on psychotherapeutic services, accounting for about ten percent of outpatient care.
Health insurers state that the adjustment is not intended to generate savings but to ensure a balanced distribution of fees compared to other medical specialties. The calculation is based on the average income of fully utilized practices. Critics argue that this assumption is unrealistic and does not reflect actual working conditions.
According to professional representatives, the cuts will result in income losses of around 5,000 euros per year for well-utilized practices. To compensate, additional working hours would be required, which is often not feasible due to high workloads and family obligations among many therapists. At the same time, structural constraints such as expensive practice licenses limit the expansion of treatment capacities.
Some psychotherapists are therefore considering treating more private patients to offset income losses. This could further worsen the situation for those with statutory insurance, who already often wait months for a therapy slot and must contact numerous practices.
A petition against the cuts has already gathered nearly half a million signatures and is to be submitted to the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.
Source: n-tv