We view the fee reductions for outpatient psychotherapeutic services adopted by the Extended Evaluation Committee with concern. Through our work as a provider of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)—employer-funded counseling services supporting employees with professional and personal challenges — we have direct insight into the current state of care provision and the actual level of demand.
Mental health conditions are already among the leading causes of absenteeism and productivity loss in organizations today. At the same time, demand for low-threshold psychological support continues to rise steadily. The duration and complexity of stress-related situations are also increasing. Effective outpatient psychotherapeutic care is therefore not an optional add-on, but a critical prerequisite for maintaining workforce stability and overall economic performance.
Against this backdrop, the adopted fee reductions send a problematic signal. Rather than stabilizing the existing care infrastructure, they risk exacerbating current bottlenecks.
For many years, we have supported employees in transitioning from initial counseling within an EAP framework into further treatment within the regular healthcare system, particularly outpatient psychotherapy. In doing so, we often take on the structured search for suitable therapy placements. Despite this support, we are observing increasingly limited capacities — both in urban and rural areas.
If this situation continues to deteriorate and necessary treatment cannot begin in a timely manner, the consequences are foreseeable: longer periods of absence, increased risks of chronic conditions, and rising costs — for companies, for the healthcare system, and for society as a whole.
“We see every day how profoundly mental health challenges affect people’s ability to work. When timely follow-up treatment does not occur after initial support, problems intensify and absences increase. From our perspective, the current cuts send the wrong signal: they prolong individual suffering and ultimately increase the long-term economic burden,” says Dr. Ludmila Peregrinova, Head of Interventions at INSITE.
Anyone seeking to sustainably strengthen mental health must ensure access to care and expand existing structures. Measures that further restrict access to services run counter to this objective.