Swiss see need for health insurance changes
The majority of Swiss are generally happy with their health insurance but feel some changes are needed.
Nearly 90 per cent of people want the price of medicine to drop to the European average, according to a survey of 1,210 people published on Thursday by the Association of Health Insurers, santésuisse.
Patented drugs are between 17 and 25 per cent cheaper in Austria, France and Italy than in Switzerland.
Just over 80 per cent of respondents were in favour of complementary medicine being included in basic insurance. Alternative treatments such as homeopathy and traditional Chinese remedies have not been covered as part of compulsory health insurance since 2005.
The survey found most people thought health insurance premiums were high but bearable, with just 20 per cent saying the payments were beyond their means – compared with 34 per cent in 2004.
Around two-thirds were happy with individual billing and general health promotion, and just over half were satisfied with medical advice. By and large the survey showed that people were satisfied with their health insurance, santésuisse concluded.
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