Health insurance premiums are a major financial burden for many families. In an initiative, the SP is now demanding that everyone must spend a maximum of ten percent of their income on premiums. The National Council is the first council to debate this. SP co-president Mattea Meyer explains why the initiative does not address rising healthcare costs.
SRF News: What percentage of your income do you and your family spend on health insurance premiums?
Mattea Meyer: I didn’t calculate them specifically for my case, but it will be similar to the rest of the population. On average, that’s between 10 and 14 percent. That’s massively too much.
With your initiative you want to set the maximum to ten percent of the income. But don’t address the cause of the high premiums, the healthcare costs. Why are you fighting symptoms?
Of course, you have to address the cost growth in healthcare. Last week, for example, the SP approved the counter-proposal to the center’s cost control initiative. For years we have campaigned to lower drug prices. But we also have a right-wing political majority in parliament that is closely linked to the pharmaceutical lobby. People who sit on the health committee with me are also on a number of health insurance boards. This is how reforms in the health sector are blocked.
They are now doing a popular initiative – but you leave the cost reduction to others?
It’s about people’s purchasing power. The problem we have is that the premiums are becoming an increasing burden for countless families and individuals with normal wages. Next year we have a premium shock ahead of us. Purchasing power is dwindling and there is not enough money to be able to have lunch in the pub in the district. It is economically relevant that we are strengthening people’s purchasing power, especially in this situation.
Your initiative does not specify which insurance model I must have for a premium cap. This means that I will take the free choice of doctor and not the cheaper family doctor model. Doesn’t that drive healthcare costs up even more?
Again: In order to reduce healthcare costs, we offer a hand on the part of the SP.
Government spending is currently skyrocketing. Your initiative would cost the federal government and cantons an additional 4.5 billion francs. How should that be compensated?
This very question infuriates a lot of people. Whenever it comes to their concerns, it is said that there is no money for that. That was never said when the bourgeois majority made tax cuts for large corporations for years.
Many people are also bothered when there are tax increases again. That will be the consequence if you don’t save the money anywhere else.
When we invest, it means people have stronger purchasing power. The money goes back into the economy. In addition, there is currently a counter-proposal to this initiative to reduce premiums, which hopefully will be able to gain a majority and will relieve people substantially and quickly.
It costs significantly less. For the federal government it would be around 1.3 billion francs plus costs for the cantons. If the counter-proposal goes through, will you withdraw your initiative?
If a counter-proposal of this magnitude gets through, the premium pot for the normally insured can be doubled. Then we seriously discuss withdrawing the initiative.
The conversation was led by Larissa Rhyn.