ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the fate of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy under national health insurance schemes in every country, this overview of what has been happening in a variety of nations may suffice to provide some feel for the spectrum of contexts, ranging from the sublime to the unconscionable, in which patients and professionals thrive, or struggle to survive, around the globe. In rare instances, a nation acts according to the belief that there is one psychoanalysis composed of many professionals having diverse academic backgrounds prior to pursuing formal analytic training; these exceptional states provide coverage for psychoanalytic treatment regardless of the earlier academic background of the qualified analyst. Bearing in mind the need to provide some redress to this hitherto relatively neglected issue, from this perspective, divide national health insurance plans that cover analysis and psychotherapy into two basic types: the reasonably progressive, rational, equitable plans and the more irrational, antiquated, inequitable schemes.
