Published March 25, 2026 · Updated April 3, 2026 · 10 min read
Since 1 July 2022, psychologist-psychotherapists in Switzerland can bill directly to basic health insurance (KVG/LAMal) thanks to the prescription model (Anordnungsmodell). Two tariffs govern this billing: PsyTarif 581 for KVG/LAMal (mandatory health insurance) and PsyTarif 582 for UVG, IVG and MVG (accident, disability and military insurance). Yet between tariff codes, invoice formats, GLN numbers and provisional tariff rules, many practitioners struggle to produce compliant invoices.
This guide covers everything you need to know in 2026: the difference between Tarif 581 and 582, the 28 codes by family, the provisional rate of CHF 2.58/min, the prescription model, invoice formats, the external factor for postgraduate trainees, and the mandatory numbers.
PsyTarif is the tariff system created to allow psychologist-psychotherapists to bill their services to mandatory health insurance (KVG/LAMal). It was introduced as part of the amendment to the KLV/OAMal, effective 1 July 2022.
Before this reform, psychologists had to work under the delegation of a physician (delegation model) for their services to be reimbursed by KVG/LAMal. Now, with the prescription model, they bill autonomously, based on a medical prescription.
Who is concerned? Any psychologist-psychotherapist holding a federal postgraduate training title in psychotherapy, registered with the cantonal authority and holding an RCC (ZSR) number.
The confusion is common: there are two tariff numbers, but they apply to different insurance domains.
| Criterion | Tarif 581 | Tarif 582 |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | KVG/LAMal (mandatory health insurance) | UVG / IVG / MVG (accident, disability, military) |
| Model | Prescription model (Anordnungsmodell) | CTM tariff convention |
| Provisional tariff | CHF 2.58/min (Federal Council) | Point system (Pt PM × VPt PM) |
| Tariff codes | PA, PB, PE, PK, PL, PN, PW | Same code families |
| Typical case | Patient in private practice, medical prescription | Accident victim, AI/AM insured |
In practice: the vast majority of your patients in private practice fall under KVG/LAMal (Tarif 581). You enter «581» in the Tariff field of the invoice. Tarif 582 only applies to UVG/IVG/MVG cases. Both tariffs share the same codes (PA, PB, etc.) but with distinct billing rules.
The principle is simple: a prescribing physician (general practitioner, psychiatrist, paediatrician or any other authorised specialist) issues a prescription for psychotherapy, and the psychologist-psychotherapist delivers and bills the sessions directly to health insurance (KVG/LAMal, Tarif 581).
Process:
Important: the prescribing physician's GLN must appear on every invoice. Without this information, the insurance cannot verify the prescription and will refuse reimbursement.
PsyTarif comprises 28 positions divided into 7 families, identified by a two-letter prefix. Each code designates a specific type of service.
| Family | Prefix | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | PA | Psychological diagnosis (anamnesis, tests, assessment) |
| Treatment | PB | Psychotherapy sessions (individual, couple, family) |
| Crisis | PE | Crisis interventions and emergencies |
| Communication | PK | Exchanges with other professionals (physician, school, employer) |
| Services in absence | PL | Work without the patient present (reports, assessments) |
| Neuropsychology | PN | Neuropsychological diagnosis and treatment |
| Travel | PW | Travel time for home visits |
Each family contains several sub-positions. For example, PB distinguishes individual, couple, family, and group therapy. The exact code depends on the nature and setting of the service.
Tip: the most commonly used daily codes are PA (initial diagnosis) and PB (therapy sessions). PK and PL codes cover administrative and coordination work that is an integral part of therapeutic follow-up.
For Tarif 581 (KVG/LAMal), the Federal Council set a provisional tariff of CHF 2.58 per minute (i.e. CHF 154.80/hour), applied uniformly in all cantons. This tariff applies to all PsyTarif 581 positions.
Calculation example:
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Tariff code | PB (individual therapy) |
| Session duration | 50 minutes |
| Rate per minute | CHF 2.58 |
| Calculation | 50 × CHF 2.58 |
| Invoice total | CHF 129.00 |
Key points:
PsyTarif invoices (581 and 582) follow a specific format with 11 columns, distinct from the format used for Tarif 590 or 312. Each service line must contain the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Tariff | Tariff number (581 or 582 depending on insurance) |
| Ch.tarif. | Tariff code (e.g. PA, PB, PE...) |
| Ch.Ref. | Reference chapter |
| Sess. | Session number (counter) |
| GLN Med | Prescribing physician GLN |
| GLN Resp | Responsible psychologist GLN |
| Qty. | Quantity (duration in minutes) |
| Pt PM | Points per minute |
| f PM | Per-minute factor (scaling) |
| VPt PM | Tariff point value per minute (CHF 2.58 for Tarif 581; point system for Tarif 582) |
| Amt. | Line total amount |
Warning: this format is very different from Tarif 590 (which uses 8 simplified columns) or Tarif 312 (which also follows a simplified format). Using the wrong format systematically leads to invoice rejection.
Each PsyTarif invoice (581 or 582) requires three identifiers to be accepted by insurance companies:
1. Psychologist GLN (GLN Resp)
13-digit number identifying your practice. Obtained from Refdata or your association (FSP, ASP). This number appears in the «GLN Resp» column of each billing line.
2. Prescribing physician GLN (GLN Med)
The GLN of the physician who issued the psychotherapy prescription. You can find it in the MedReg register of the FOPH. This number is mandatory on every invoice to prove the existence of the prescription.
3. Psychologist RCC / ZSR number
Issued by SASIS SA. This number identifies you as a KVG/LAMal service provider. It appears in the invoice header and is essential for any reimbursement.
Tip: save your prescribing physicians' GLNs in your billing software. You will reuse them for every invoice for the same patient, avoiding repeated lookups.
Missing physician GLN — forgetting to include the prescribing physician's GLN. Insurance systematically rejects the invoice without this information.
Wrong invoice format — using a simplified format (Tarif 590 type) instead of the ZAS format with the 11 columns specific to PsyTarif.
Incorrect session counter — not numbering sessions correctly. The counter must be continuous per prescription (1, 2, 3...) for tracking the 15 and 30 session thresholds.
Expired prescription — billing beyond 15 sessions without an extension, or beyond 30 without medical advisor approval.
Incorrect tariff — applying a rate different from CHF 2.58/min or modifying the VPt PM. The provisional tariff is fixed and cannot be modified by the practitioner.
When psychotherapy is delivered by a postgraduate trainee (under supervision), an external factor of 0.9 applies, i.e. a 10% reduction of the tariff.
Specific rules:
Warning: do not directly enter 90% of the tariff in the «Pt PM» column. Use the «f PM» field with the 0.9 coefficient — that is the only compliant method.
The distinction between Invoice author and Service provider is essential for compliant invoices, particularly in institutional settings.
| Situation | Author | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | Yourself (same GLN) | Yourself (same GLN) |
| Institutional employee | The institution (legal entity) | The supervising therapist (natural person) |
| Postgraduate trainee | Institution or supervisor | The supervisor (never the trainee) |
In summary: the Service provider is always a qualified supervising therapist, never a postgraduate trainee. The Author and Provider GLNs may differ in institutional settings.
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