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The President of the Health Commission, Albert Rösti, has called on the health insurance associations to finally agree on the new tariff. The summit meeting showed how different the recipes are in the fight against rising costs and premiums.
Healthcare costs have been rising steadily for years. In 2020 they have grown to CHF 83.3 billion. “When healthcare costs increase, so do health insurance premiums,” said Thomas Christen in the “Arena”. He is the deputy director of the Federal Office of Public Health.
The health insurance umbrella association Santésuisse even warns of premium increases of up to ten percent for 2023. In the “Arena”, stakeholders from the healthcare sector met to discuss possible solutions to the rising costs and premiums.
Debate on new tariff system
The tariff structure plays a central role in the billing and reimbursement of outpatient medical services. The FMH and the health insurance umbrella organization Curafutura have developed a new Tardoc system. However, the Federal Council recently rejected this on the grounds that the new tariff structure had deficiencies.
Curafutura director Pius Zängerle said he was disappointed that after filing, nothing was heard for five months. “We were surprised that they decided against it, without us being heard again.” Every year, the old tariff causes false incentives worth billions.
The new tariff system can now be approved
But there is a lack of willingness to quickly implement reforms within the system. «It was important for us that the new tariff system was carefully examined. We did that to the best of our knowledge and belief, »said Christen from the BAG.
The new tariff would not have simplified things, but rather caused additional costs.
Christoph Kilchenmann from Santésuisse takes a different view than Curafutura. He was relieved about the decision of the Federal Council. The current design of Tardoc is not in the interests of the premium payer. “The new tariff would not have simplified it, but above all caused additional costs.”
The President of the Health Commission in the National Council, Albert Rösti, presented the health insurance associations with an ultimatum, so to speak: They must now sit together and find a solution within the next year.
Initiatives of the SP and center as a response
Christian Lohr, middle member of the National Council, represented a different approach to solving the problem with the cost brake initiative. If the costs of basic insurance rise faster than wages and developments in the economy as a whole, the Confederation would take action together with the cantons.
“The number of people who can no longer pay the premium is increasing every year.” This leads to debt and ultimately to more social cases. “We no longer accept that,” says Lohr. The SP also has a proposal ready with the premium relief initiative. Insured persons should spend no more than ten percent of their disposable income on the premium.
The state should step in when the border is crossed
If this limit is exceeded, the federal government and the cantons would have to step in with premium reductions. “While premiums have increased by 142 percent, wages have increased by only 15 percent over the same period,” said SP National Councilor Flavia Wasserfallen.
While premiums are up 142 percent, wages have risen just 15 percent over the same period.
“The premium burden for the lower and middle incomes has become unbearable.” At the same time, the cantons have withdrawn more and more from premium reductions. “The system no longer keeps what it promised when the per capita bonus was introduced.”
The guests in the “Arena” agreed that the health costs had to be dealt with quickly. But opinions differed widely about the measures.