somnio is the first digital health application to receive its own billing number for therapy monitoring
22.03.2021 17:31
Last week, the expanded evaluation committee decided to introduce statutory health insurance reimbursement for the regulation of digital health applications (DiGA). The remuneration is based on a newly created number in the uniform assessment standard (EBM). In addition to the fee for an initial prescription of DiGA, an additional payment option was decided for the use of DiGA somnio, which can be used to treat insomnia. somnio is the only DiGA to date whose use by doctors and psychotherapists can be separately rewarded with its own additional flat rate.
After the remuneration of DiGA's medical prescription was previously open, the new resolution of the expanded evaluation committee now creates clarity for doctors and psychotherapists: With the newly created fee schedule item 01470 (“Additional flat rate for issuing an initial prescription for a digital health application”) An initial prescription for a digital health application can be billed at around 2 euros (18 points). The resolution applies retroactively to January 1, 2021 and can therefore be applied to all regulations passed since then. It is limited until the end of 2022. From 2023, the DiGA initial regulation will become part of the flat rate for insured persons and the basic flat rate for specialists.
DiGA progress monitoring somnio additionally remunerable
The first and so far only DiGA created the extended evaluation committee for the application somnio a separate fee schedule item that can be billed as an additional flat rate: With GOP 01471 (“Additional flat rate for the follow-up and evaluation of the DiGA somnio”), doctors and psychotherapists can receive extra remuneration for their support and monitoring of a therapy somnio receive. The compensation is 7.12 euros (64 points) and can be billed once per treatment case.
Noah Lorenz, founder and managing director of mementor DE GmbH: “We see the decision of the extended evaluation committee as an important signal for the sustainable integration of DiGA into standard medical and psychotherapeutic care and are pleased with the decision that therapy monitoring with somnio will be reimbursed as a separate medical service. This makes it clear that not only the regulation, but also the long-term use of DiGA and the support from doctors and psychotherapists is recognized as worthy of remuneration and therefore as a relevant medical service.”
somnio has been listed as DiGA in the BfArM directory since October 2020 and has received permanent approval based on the evidence already provided. The application can be prescribed by doctors and psychotherapists to treat insomnia (sleep disorders). Digital sleep training uses individual sleep data to teach exercises and methods of cognitive behavioral therapy that lead to improved sleep.