they help patients in difficult life situations – now they are looking for help: Currently, psychologists are in various Swiss cities on the road. They collect signatures for a Petition calling on the Federal Council, “to eliminate the access barriers to psychotherapy”. Already 50’000 people have signed the Petition since mid-November, as Philipp Thüler, speaker of the psychologists Association, says. At the beginning of March you should be the Federal law firm passed.
access hurdles exist, according to the professional associations, because the psychologists independently of the basic pension Fund are allowed to settle. Only if they work “delegated”, so if you are employed by a psychiatrist with medical training, paid for by health insurance psychotherapy. The doctor prescribed and supervised, the treatment, the premium funds and paid the psychologists. Because there are too few psychiatrists to assign the maximum of four, in their practitioners, psychologists, patients, must wait for children and young people, and Sick people in the rural areas for months on a treatment, says Thüler – “an intolerable situation”.
“patients need to wait for partial months on a treatment.” Philipp Thüler, Association of Psychologists-in speaker
to confirm The house and children doctors the bottleneck: “We can derive a lot of patients, not professionals,” says the Association’s President, Philippe Luchsinger. The delegated mode of operation is also complicated and with a large administrative effort.
In the case of the psychiatrists, however, these arguments are causing resentment. “We do not support the Petition. In larger cities, there are hardly any waiting times. And the country lacks not only psychiatrists, but also psychologists,” says Pierre Vallon, the President of the Swiss society for psychiatry and psychotherapy. In addition, the psychiatrist could not be simply replaced by psychologists. The latter are formed with respect to the clinical skills to little, to treat patients with severe psychiatric, psychosomatic or addictive disorders, says Vallon.
pressure from the Parliament
Skeptical of the health insurance companies were until recently. But now it’s all about the Association, Santésuisse, and you prefer a particular model, if the quality of the treatments voice. In addition, a rapid Intervention must be possible, if the costs are not developed negative in order to charge the premium payer more. A direct billing without a prescription from qualified Physicians, not come therefore out of the question.
The public cry for help from the psychologists a long dispute is preceded by a year: Ruth Dreifuss about Didier Burkhalter to Alain Berset, several health Ministers have asked the psychotherapist a change of system in view. Once in training, a national uniform Standard applied, would you, as a self-employed service providers with the health insurance bill, it was said. Specifically, an Assembly model as is the case with the physiotherapists should be established. These may be treated according to a medical prescription independent and settle. Alone: it’s Done up to now – although the education questions in the meantime, for nearly six years in the psychology profession act are regulated.
Therefore, the pressure from the Parliament: representatives from the center increases-the left have tabled in the past few months, seven initiatives; the latest are from the winter session. “The government’s actions must now follow,” says the green national councillor Irène Kälin. “The Federal Council has to submit after years of discussion, finally, a draft regulation for a change of system”, also calls for CVP national councillor Geraldine Marchand-Balet. With the arrangement of the model is to succeed, it is better to treat the mentally Ill rapidly. It was in the interest of economy, because the Work stoppages would be reduced. The supply will closed the gap, prevent the not only suffering, but also to higher follow-up costs, says GLP-Nationalrat Thomas Weibel: “It will be less inpatient treatment would be required, and the number of disability pensions could be reduced.”
Federal Council is skeptical
However, the Federal Council evaluated the issue of costs differently. In its responses to the motions, he acknowledges that the psychiatric care needs to be improved, especially in children and adolescents. The current regulation was “appropriate”. At the same time he is afraid of but, given the pressure on costs in the basic insurance of an “unnecessary expansion”.
for this reason, have cancelled Bersets professionals in March 2018, the talks with the psychologist, says the Association’s spokesman Thüler. You want to know at the Federal office for health, however, is not: “The Work of alternative models were conducted in 2018,” says a spokesman. Next steps are planned for the current year.
people’s initiative, as an Option
a draft regulation is Actually Reportedly now in the psychology profession Commission, which advises the Federal Council. She takes no position on the specific embodiment, but its policy recommendation is clear: “We are of the opinion that as soon as possible and a new model established. The threshold is for the patient’s deeper, if you come via family doctors or gynecologists to psychotherapy,” says Commission member Gabriela Rüttimann.
A quick solution seems to be, however, because of the divergent interests is not in sight. The psychologists Association therefore reserves the right to launch a people’s initiative. According to the collective action for the Petition Thüler is convinced: “The collected signatures we had quickly.”
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 27.01.2019, 21:55 PM
