Germany legalizes digital psychotherapy applications despite technical delays

In Germany, new regulations passed by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) have legally permitted the electronic processing of psychotherapy applications, notifications, and expert assessments as of June 17, 2026.

However, a nationwide digital system for statutory health insurance members is not yet operational. Because the technical implementation by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds is still pending, patients and practitioners must continue to use existing paper-based forms and manual submission processes.

Currently, acute psychotherapy can be documented using form PTV 12 without prior approval, while long-term therapy applications still require mandatory assessments and manual processing through established channels between practices and insurance providers.