On 24 November 2024 the people of Switzerland will vote on the Amendment to the Health Insurance Act (standardised financing of benefits).
In brief
In Switzerland, the services covered by compulsory health insurance are not financed in a standardised manner. Health insurance pays for outpatient treatment (at the doctor's surgery, therapist's practice or in hospital if an overnight stay is not required). The canton covers at least 55 per cent of the costs of inpatient treatment (in hospital with overnight stay) and just under half of the costs of care at home or in a nursing home. The rest is covered by health insurance. This leads to false incentives: people are often treated unnecessarily as inpatients, even where outpatient treatment would make more medical sense and be less expensive overall.
Parliament has decided to amend the Health Insurance Act so that all compulsory health insurance services will be funded jointly by the health insurance companies and the cantons according to the same allocation formula. The cantons will now cover at least 26.9 per cent of the costs of all services, while the health insurance funds cover a maximum of 73.1 per cent. This standardised funding is intended to reduce disincentives, encourage the use of outpatient treatment and improve cooperation between doctors, therapists, carers and pharmacists. As the cantons and health insurance companies will finance all services jointly, they have a greater interest in promoting the most medically appropriate and cost-effective treatment in each case. This should also reduce the burden on premium payers. A referendum on this reform has been requested.
- Everything you need to know about voting in Switzerland on www.ch.ch
Last modification 01.10.2024
