Fapsylux, the Luxembourgish psychotherapists' association, has already met twice with CNS officials since the beginning of the year.

Although it already seemed as though both parties were edging closer to an agreement, some new challenges seem to have appeared in the negotiation process. This naturally brings back memories of 2018, when similar discussions failed after three months of going back and forth.

The points of conflict have remained almost exactly the same. Fapsylux demands that three sessions of psychotherapy be reimbursed, given that practitioners need those meetings to establish a diagnosis and build trust. Furthermore, the association wants those sessions to be eligible for reimbursement without previously having been prescribed by a general practitioner. Finally, reimbursements should not be granted according to age.

The National Health Fund (CNS) is ready to meet these terms. President Christian Oberlé underlined that a final agreement needs to be found before the end of the year. If some points need further negotiation, he noted that others could already be implemented while discussions continue. The way it stands, the central issue appears to be the number of sessions eligible for full reimbursement.

Similarly, the prescription process for psychotherapy sessions is still being discussed. CNS currently proposed to launch a pilot project of two years, after which they will evaluate the implementation of Faspylux' proposed model.

Finally, when it comes to reimbursement according to age, Oberlé explained that their focus will first be placed on people between the age of 18 and 60. He noted however that CNS was open to make changes in the future.