Guide
How to use 116117 to get a therapy appointment in Germany
By the TheraPlatz team · Updated
116117 is the free appointment service of Germany's public health system, and for psychotherapy it's the fastest route to a first appointment. It has to offer you a psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde, an initial assessment, no more than four weeks away, and you don't need a referral. What it won't do is find you a long-term therapist of your choice, and the person who answers will usually speak German. Below is what it books, what to have ready and what to say.
What 116117 is
116117 is run by the Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen, the regional associations of doctors and therapists who work with public insurance (GKV), and by law it is reachable 24 hours a day. Its appointment part, the Terminservicestelle, is for publicly insured patients. The same number also connects you to the out-of-hours medical service (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) for when practices are closed, so you may hear a menu first. It is not an emergency line: in an emergency, call 112.
What it can book for you
- A psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde. No referral is needed, and the appointment can be at most four weeks away.
- Akutbehandlung (acute treatment), if your Sprechstunde recommended it. This appointment can be at most two weeks away.
- Probatorische Sitzungen, the trial sessions before longer therapy, if your PTV 11 says treatment is needed soon.
116117 has to make you an offer within a week of your request. If no practice has a slot in time, it has to offer you an appointment at a hospital or hospital outpatient clinic instead.
What it can't do
It can't promise a particular therapist or one who speaks English, and the practice only has to be within a reasonable distance of where you live, not around the corner. It gets the first steps arranged quickly, but a place for long-term therapy (Richtlinientherapie) still depends on a practice having capacity. If the therapist it found isn't a good fit, you can ask 116117 for a different practice.
The PTV 11 and its code
At the end of your Sprechstunde you get the PTV 11 form. If the therapist marks that outpatient psychotherapy is needed soon (zeitnah erforderlich), the form also carries a code, the Vermittlungscode. With it, 116117 can book you Akutbehandlung or probatorische Sitzungen at another practice. Without that mark the code can't be used, so ask at the end of your Sprechstunde whether it applies to you, and keep the form: you'll need it again if you apply for Kostenerstattung.
Booking online instead of calling
If speaking German on the phone is the hard part, book online at 116117-termine.de instead. You enter your postcode, and the code from your PTV 11 if you have one: without a code you can book a Sprechstunde, with it also Akutbehandlung or trial sessions. Your confirmation email has a link to cancel or rebook, and many appointments can also take place by video.
What to say on the phone
Have your health insurance card (Gesundheitskarte) and your postcode ready, plus your PTV 11 if you already have one. These sentences cover most calls:
- „Ich suche einen Termin für eine psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde.“ I'm looking for an appointment for a psychotherapy consultation.
- „Ich habe einen Vermittlungscode von meinem PTV 11.“ I have the code from my PTV 11.
- „Ich brauche einen Termin für eine Akutbehandlung.“ I need an appointment for acute treatment.
- „Ist der Termin auch per Video möglich?“ Can the appointment be by video?
- „Gibt es eine Praxis, in der auf Englisch behandelt wird?“ Is there a practice that treats in English? They may not know, but it's worth asking.
- „Können Sie mir den Termin bitte per E-Mail bestätigen?“ Could you confirm the appointment by email?
Write down every call
Note the date, the time and what you were offered, even when the answer is nothing. If you later apply for Kostenerstattung, many Krankenkassen ask whether you tried 116117 for a treatment place, and that note is your proof.
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