CSS becomes first private health insurer to reimburse innovative depression treatment
CSS is now offering its customers the ground-breaking, at-home depression treatment from Flow Neuroscience.
PRESS RELEASE
DATE: 20th February, 2024; CSS, one of Switzerland's largest private health insurers, is now offering Flow tDCS depression treatment to its supplementary population.
Eligible customers are now able to get reimbursed for an effective alternative to antidepressants in the form of non-invasive tDCS treatment from Flow Neuroscience.
The treatment uses a brain stimulation technique - transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - to target the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain controlling key cognitive skills such as emotional expression and is most associated with depression.
According to research conducted in Switzerland in 2022 by Ipsos, mental health has now overtaken cancer to become the second highest concern. 74% of Swiss people say that mental health and physical health are equally important, and 48% of Swiss people see mental health as one of the biggest health problems facing people in their country1. Flow provides an additional option for those seeking treatment and can be used as part of a holistic approach alongside antidepressants, talking therapies and other techniques or as a standalone treatment.
A form of neurostimulation, the Flow device delivers weak direct electrical current via electrodes to restore activity in the left frontal lobe and help rebalance activity. The treatment is delivered through a headset worn by patients for just 30 minutes daily.
Erin Lee from Flow Neuroscience commented, “At Flow, we’re passionate about creating accessible and affordable treatments for the world’s leading mental health conditions. For many, accessibility and affordability are only possible via insured coverage and benefits. We’re thrilled that CSS has recognized the effectiveness and value of the Flow platform for depression and are the first insurer to make it available to their covered population. We’re looking forward to continuing to partner with clinicians and patients across Switzerland to ensure Flow is available to everyone who needs it.”
Flow recently received positive results in the largest-ever clinical trial of its kind. It was found to be twice as effective at treating depression than antidepressants** - without the major side effects – with over half (58%) of patients reporting all symptoms of depression were alleviated in just ten weeks.
CSS CEO, Philomena Colatrella said: “We are proud to play a pioneering role in establishing Flow Neuroscience in Switzerland. Our clients with supplementary insurance now have access to an additional treatment option. In this way we are closing a gap in the healthcare market.”
The focus on establishing reimbursement for Flow’s depression treatment is part of the company’s mission to ensure that mental health treatment is accessible and affordable.
To read more about Flow’s at-home stimulation treatment, head here.
ENDS
Flow Neuroscience was founded in 2016 in Malmö, Sweden, as the brainchild of clinical psychologist Daniel Månsson and neuroscientist Erik Rehn, to develop transformational treatments for mental illnesses. Utilising expertise from psychiatry and neuroscience, Månsson and Rehn had a vision to combine innovation with traditional science and healthcare to empower mental health on a global scale.
Flow is the first solution of the hardware-enabled digital health company and is a medically approved at-home brain stimulation treatment for depression. Last July, Flow's platform received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation - the first and only tDCS device to do so.
Building the gateway for the healthcare system to close the treatment gap and for patients to improve their depression - Flow enables a new option of treatment. Looking to the future, Flow Neuroscience will continue to create disruptive mental health tools to increase accessibility and medication-free options.
The headset (550 CHF) is normally available to purchase online at flowneuroscience.com. Available for both iPhone and Android, the app is available to download from the App Store and Google Play, and users must be at least 17 years old to download.
RCT trial information:
**Based on a comparison of odds ratios, a standardised way of comparing clinical trials and a form of measurement for the difference in effect between treatment and placebo. The Flow 2023 study showed that participants had greater than three times higher odds of getting substantially better if they got the active treatment vs if they got placebo/sham stimulation, approximately double the average effect size witnessed in the trials for the 21 best-selling antidepressants reviewed by the FDA.
1 https://www.ipsos.com/en-ch/rising-importance-mental-health-switzerland