Health insurance premiums: Zurich votes on this

If the initiators have their way, the deductions per person should be increased by CHF 1,000. The cantonal government has presented a counter-proposal.

Our healthcare system is not only among the best, but also among the most expensive in the world.

Gaetan Bally / Keystone

Cantonal votes of November 27th, 2022

0/176 circles counted

last update on 16.11.2022

Source: Canton of Zurich

0/176 circles counted

last update on 16.11.2022

Source: Zurich

0/176 circles counted

last update on 16.11.2022

The SVP speaks full-bodied of the justice initiative. The idea behind it: Health insurance premiums have grown much faster than wages over the past twenty years. Therefore, the population should at least be allowed to make higher tax deductions for insurance premiums. There must be so much justice.

This Sunday, the canton’s voters will decide whether they think the idea is fair or whether it should be a counter-proposal or even none of the two at all.

If the initiators have their way, the tax deductions for adults should be increased from 2,600 to 3,600 francs per person and for children from 1,300 to 1,500 francs. In addition, the amount of the deduction will in future be automatically adjusted to the development of the premium and no longer to general inflation, as is the case today.

If the initiative is accepted, this will lead to tax shortfalls in the canton and municipalities of CHF 150 million per year.

Because this went too far for the government and the majority in parliament, a counter-proposal was drawn up that would only result in tax shortfalls of CHF 45 million each. This would also increase the deductions, but not nearly as much. According to the counter-proposal, the deduction for adults should not be increased by CHF 1,000, but only by CHF 300, i.e. from CHF 2,600 to CHF 2,900 per year. Nothing would change in the children’s premiums.

The calculation method would also remain the same: the amount of the deductions would be based on general inflation, as is the case today, and not on the increase in the cost of health insurance premiums.

Who benefits: middle class or wealthy?

The initiators argue that medium-sized companies in particular are being hit hard by rising health insurance premiums. Therefore, a high deduction is necessary. The surrounding cantons in particular have shown that this is possible.

Compared to its neighboring cantons, Zurich is actually not particularly generous when it comes to deducting insurance premiums. The limit values ​​​​in Zurich are lowest for single people and married couples, and for a family with two children, Zurich is still just ahead of the cantons of Aargau and Schwyz.

The counter-proposal would not change anything in the ranking, but if the initiative were accepted, Zurich would outperform all neighboring cantons and would now allow the highest deductions.

With the counter-proposal, Zurich remains in the middle

Deductions for health insurance premiums in comparison (married couple, two children)

While the bourgeois parties were at least enthusiastic about the counter-proposal, a left-green minority in the cantonal council fundamentally questioned an increase in deductions. She rejected both the initiative and the counter-proposal. Mainly households with high incomes, which could easily afford the health insurance company, benefited from the deductions. Opponents argued that the problem was not the deductions that were too low, but the rising health costs.

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