Rehabilitative psychotherapy

Kela reimburses costs of rehabilitative psychotherapy services for persons between ages 16 and 67 who have a diagnosed mental disorder that presents a risk to their capacity to work or study.

Reimbursement of rehabilitative psychotherapy requires the completion of three months of appropriate treatment after the diagnosis. Appropriate treatment means treatment offered by a health care provider in accordance with good standards of care and consisting of medical, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic examinations and treatment.

Rehabilitative psychotherapy must be based on a rehabilitation plan which has been drawn up the health care provider responsible for the rehabilitation client's care and which includes a statement by a psychiatrist.

Kela reimburses costs of rehabilitative psychotherapy for up to 3 years. A maximum of 80 sessions per year and 200 sessions per 3 years are covered. Under special circumstances, another 3 years of therapy can be covered once 5 years have passed from a previous period of covered therapy.

Kela also reimburses costs of counseling visits to the family members of rehabilitation clients aged 16-25 years, provided they are necessary to ensure the success of rehabilitative psychotherapy. The need for such visits must be explained in the rehabilitation plan.

Kela covers costs of rehabilitative psychotherapy up to an amount specified by the Government. The maximum amount covered is often smaller than the therapist's fees, which means that you may have to pay some of the cost yourself. No reimbursements under the National Health Insurance are available for treatments reimbursed as rehabilitative psychotherapy.

Updated 10/22/12