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The National Council is today advising the cost brake initiative of the “Centre” party. There are various alternative proposals.
The National Council is today advising the initiative of the “Centre” party for a cost brake in the health care system. The popular initiative “For lower premiums – cost control in the health care system” is intended to oblige the Federal Council and the cantons to take cost-cutting measures if the cost growth per insured person is one fifth higher than the nominal wage development two years after the initiative was adopted.
Thanks to the initiative, the costs of compulsory health insurance should develop in accordance with the economy as a whole and average wages, and the premiums should remain affordable. The Federal Council considers the linking of cost growth to wage development to be too «rigid» and, in an indirect counter-proposal, provides for cost targets in compulsory health insurance.
The National Council Health Commission has an alternative concept to the Federal Council’s proposal. She doesn’t want to know anything about the initiative project with targets for maximum cost growth and is asking for concrete measures, especially with regard to tariffs and laboratory analyses.
On behalf of the initiators, Christian Lohr (Die Mitte/TG) emphasized that the rising premiums would lead to more and more people falling into debt. The referendum does not call for rationing of medically necessary services, but wants to encourage active thinking in the healthcare sector. It is about personal responsibility and personal competence in healthcare.
“There is no talk of a global budget. Anyone who claims that is deliberately practicing pessimism and showing that they don’t want to react,” says Lohr. The Swiss health system is very good, but must remain affordable. Studies showed that a fifth of the costs could be saved without any loss of quality.
There is no talk of a global budget. Anyone who claims that is deliberately practicing black painting.