2024 - Money for health services - VPOD launches referendum against monism template

The Swiss Association of Public Service Personnel (VPOD) is against the fundamental restructuring of financing in the healthcare system.
He has now launched his referendum campaign against the so-called monism bill.
The referendum period lasts until April 18th.

Opponents of the Efas template (see box) argue that it is dangerous for nursing staff, the quality of care and for those insured. The reform shifts power away from the cantons and towards the health insurance companies. In the future, they would manage eleven billion francs in taxpayers’ money and determine who would receive money for care services and operations.

Parliament passed the so-called monism bill in December. Their goal is to finance outpatient and inpatient health services from a single source in the future.

Today, outpatient treatments are paid for solely by health insurance companies, using premium money. At least 55 percent of inpatient services are covered by the cantons. The health insurance companies pay the rest.

The cantons should now cover at least 26.9 percent and the health insurers should cover a maximum of 73.1 percent of the service costs through premiums. Insured persons must continue to pay a specific contribution for long-term care services, whether outpatient or inpatient. The cantons can cover the contribution.

The monism template was discussed for 14 years. In the end, the majority in parliament spoke of a workable compromise that had been found and clearly approved the “Uniform financing for outpatient and inpatient” (Efas) package at the end of the winter session – the National Council with 141 votes to 42 with 15 abstentions Council of States with 41 votes to 3 and 0 abstentions.

Immediately afterwards, the VPOD union announced a referendum against the proposal.

“The health insurance companies, and thus the premium payers, now have to pay 73.1 percent of all costs, the lion’s share,” VPOD central secretary Beatriz Rosende told the media in Bern. With Efas, there is a risk of premiums and cost sharing increasing even further, concluded Viviane Hösli, Central Secretary for Health in the VPOD.

Insurers are putting enormous pressure on staff to work even faster.

This will further increase cost pressure in the entire healthcare sector. “I’m very worried,” said nurse Deniz Killi. Many of her colleagues have paid for the increasing cost pressure in recent years with greater commitment and stress. This is also reflected in the consistently high number of people leaving the profession. Situations are increasingly occurring in which the satisfaction of needs and the safety of patients can no longer be guaranteed.