Negotiations between the national psychotherapists' association Fapsylux and the National Health Fund (CNS) have remained unsuccessful for years.

At the beginning of March, Fapsylux issued a new recommendation for hourly rates to its more than 500 members, which is €175.

According to Fapsylux president Delphine Prüm, this is supposed to send a clear message to CNS: "This is our rate and that of one session. We will not work for anything below that. Why should we entertain discussions and compromises, if we end up without a solution?"

Part of the rate is bound to the amount of time a patient requires, Prüm further explained: "Every session needs preparation and debriefing. Between sessions, we contact patients, conduct research, and so on. The nature of our profession does not allow us to treat patients during 40 hours per week."

In response, CNS president Christian Oberlé described the recommendation as risky: "We consciously decided not to announce any specific rate. It is our role to help clients finance their psychotherapy, not to award more money to psychotherapists. The current rate has naturally evolved along the practices of therapists over the years."

Oberlé also noted that in light of the new recommendation for hourly rates, everything that both parties previously agreed upon is once again put into question. He further drew attention to the fact that the rate exceeds that of other medical specialists, who studied for longer periods of time: "Their recommendation is not an option for us, it would throw the entire system out of balance. The rate is almost twice as high as in other countries."

Fapsylux and CNS have agreed to three more meetings, all scheduled to be held before May this year.