What Selfapy actually does
Selfapy delivers structured, CBT-based (cognitive behavioral therapy) online courses for specific mental health conditions, accessed through a browser or companion app. Its flagship program addresses depression and is registered in Germany's official DiGA directory — a formal government list, maintained by BfArM (the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices), of digital health applications that have proven a positive healthcare effect and earned the right to be prescribed and reimbursed like a conventional treatment. This is a materially different regulatory status from a general wellness or meditation app: Selfapy's depression course carries its own reimbursement code (PZN 16954730) and is classified as a Class I medical device under the EU Medical Device Regulation.
The core product
To use a covered Selfapy course, a patient first needs a prescription from a doctor or psychotherapist (or, for some conditions, a direct diagnosis code submission depending on the pathway), then registers the resulting 16-digit code with Selfapy to unlock the program at no personal cost — the statutory health insurer pays Selfapy directly, currently around €217.18 for a 90-day depression course. Courses combine structured lessons, exercises, and mood tracking modeled on established CBT protocols, distinguishing this from unstructured, general-purpose meditation or mood-tracking apps.
What's new or notable
In March 2025, Selfapy was acquired by MEDICE Health Family, a family-owned German pharmaceutical and medical device group founded generations ago and based in Iserlohn and Ringelheim. MEDICE has stated the acquisition is part of a strategic push into 'clinically validated, multimodal health solutions' spanning pharmaceuticals and digital therapeutics — meaning Selfapy is now backed by an established German pharma manufacturer rather than operating as a standalone startup, which for a DiGA can mean more resources for the ongoing clinical evidence generation BfArM requires to keep permanent listing status.
Who should use Selfapy
Great fit if…
- You have a diagnosis of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder in Germany and are covered by statutory health insurance — the course is fully reimbursed with a prescription.
- You want a structured, evidence-reviewed CBT program rather than a generic mood-tracking or meditation app, and are comfortable working through a course with clear clinical framing.
Skip it if…
- You're not in Germany or not covered by a German statutory health insurer — the reimbursement pathway is specific to the German DiGA system and doesn't transfer to other countries.
- You need help for chronic pain or panic disorder specifically — these courses currently exist only as self-pay options, without the insurance-covered pathway available for depression, GAD, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder.
Pricing in detail
For covered indications, patients pay nothing out of pocket once they have a prescription — the statutory health insurer reimburses Selfapy directly, at a rate currently around €217.18 per 90-day course. For chronic pain and panic disorder, Selfapy currently offers self-pay-only access; the exact self-pay price is not published on the public course pages and is shown at the point of purchase, so anyone considering these two specific courses should check the live price on selfapy.com before assuming a figure.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed (depression, GAD, bulimia, binge-eating) | Free with a doctor's/therapist's prescription — statutory insurance pays ~€217/90 days | Full CBT course, mood tracking, structured 90-day program |
| Self-pay (chronic pain, panic disorder) | Price shown at checkout, not publicly listed | Same structured course format, purchased directly without a prescription |
Where it falls short
- The prescription requirement adds friction — you cannot self-refer into the reimbursed pathway; a doctor or psychotherapist visit is a prerequisite.
- Self-pay pricing transparency is weaker than the reimbursed indications, since chronic pain and panic disorder courses don't show a fixed price upfront on their marketing pages.
Privacy & data
As a DiGA, Selfapy handles clinical mental-health data under both GDPR and Germany's stricter DiGA-specific data protection and security requirements set by BfArM, which mandate a higher bar than a general consumer wellness app — including formal data protection and information security concept reviews as part of the listing process.
How we checked this
Checked 2026-09-05 against Selfapy's own site (selfapy.com) describing its 100% statutory insurance coverage and self-pay chronic pain course, the DiGA-Verzeichnis third-party registry entry confirming PZN, MDR Class I status and indication codes, BfArM's own DiGA directory, and transkript.de's March 2025 reporting on the MEDICE Health Family acquisition.
What you get, what you give up
What you get
- A real, government-vetted DiGA rather than a self-styled 'therapy app' — BfArM listing means the course had to demonstrate positive healthcare effects to earn permanent reimbursement status.
- Zero out-of-pocket cost for the core covered indications when properly prescribed, which is unusual in a category where most competitors charge ongoing subscriptions regardless of clinical backing.
What you give up
- Full insurance coverage only applies to specific prescribed indications (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bulimia, binge-eating disorder); chronic pain and panic disorder courses are currently self-pay only, and Selfapy does not publish a fixed self-pay price on its course pages — you see the exact figure at checkout.
- As with any DiGA, access requires going through a doctor or psychotherapist first to get a prescription and activation code — you cannot simply download the app and start the covered program without that step.