9 juillet 2019 – The Federal Council intends to improve access to psychotherapy, especially for children and adolescents as well as adults in crisis situations. In order to facilitate access to psychotherapeutic services and ensure adequate care, the Federal Council proposes a change in the system: Today, the services of psychotherapists are only covered by compulsory health care insurance when provided under the supervision and in the offices of a doctor. In future, psychotherapists shall be able to provide their services independently within the framework of compulsory health care insurance. Prerequisites for psychotherapists would be a corresponding qualification, a professional licence from the respective Canton and an order for psychotherapy issued by a doctor, as is already the case, for example, in the field of physiotherapy (order model). The Federal Council passed a corresponding draft of the Health Insurance Ordinance (SR 832.102; Verordnung über die Krankenversicherung) and the Health Care Coverage Ordinance (SR 832.112.31; Krankenpflege-Leistungsverordnung) for consultation on 26 June 2019. An order issued by a doctor would allow easier and earlier access to psychotherapy than the previously required prior consultation with a specialist doctor in psychiatry and psychotherapy. The Federal Council expects that this will also reduce the number of long-term therapies and chronifications (for further information, see: here).