June 9 votes in Switzerland: how can healthcare costs be reined in?
Health insurance premiums are a growing burden for Swiss households. This year alone, they increased by 8.7% on average. As a result, a large part of the population is unable or difficult to pay the compulsory monthly premiums.
On June 9, the Swiss will vote on two initiatives aimed at capping health costs. While the Social Democrats want to limit health insurance premiums to 10% of a household’s income, the Center party wants to introduce a mechanism to force the state to curb the rising costs.
Do these two initiatives convince you? What measures do you think would be most effective to put an end to the ongoing rise in healthcare costs? Should financial help for households be boosted, or should the procedures covered by health insurance be reduced? Let us know in the conversation below.
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Swiss federal votes on June 9: what’s on the agenda?
I only have a lot of my information thanks to SWI! If this information is correct...... Why are the systems that have been successfully tried and tested by the private sector and the army for a long time not being used more or across the board?
It cannot be due to the power grid alone!
Restarting in the event of a fault has worked since the 90s! Without any loss of data. The word "power bank" hadn't even been invented yet. If I remember correctly, it was a 456 PC with Windows 4.11 The Pentium came later.... Double lines if (!) there were any... were searched for and found in minutes with Excel back then. I would be disappointed if this didn't exist today as an automated BOT and in nanosecond speed. I used to "scan" typing strips and later interface protocols on endless paper for errors with my own eyes. What for? To make me look stupid today? What does this "economy" "share"? Data rubbish?
Viele meiner Informationen habe ich nur Dank SWI! Falls diese Informationen stimmen...... Warum werden nicht mehr bzw. flächendeckend die von der Privatwirtschaft und dem Heer lange und erfolgreich erprobten Systeme eingesetzt?
Alleine am Stromnetz kann es nicht liegen!
Ein Wiederanlauf bei Störungen funktioniert seit den 90er Jahren! Ohne Datenverlust. Da war das Wort "Power bank" noch gar nicht erfunden. Falls ich mich richtig erinnere war das ein 456er PC mit Windows 4.11 Der Pentium kam später.... Doppelzeilen falls (!) welche vorhanden... suchte und fand man damals minutenschnell mit Excel. Ich wäre entäuscht gäbe es das heute nicht als BOT automatisiert und in Nanosekundengeschwindigkeit. Ich habe Tippstreifen und später Schnittstellenprotokolle auf Endlospapier noch mit den eigenen Augen nach Fehlern "gescannt". Wozu? Damit ich heute dumm dreinschau? Was "shared" diese "economy"? Datenmüll?
It is a pity that it is not mentioned anywhere that the 10% applies ONLY to basic insurance. Without mentioning this specifically, many voters are assuming the wrong assumption. This will have a massive impact on the outcome of the vote. I am voting NO
Schade, dass nirgends erwähnt wird, dass die 10% NUR für die Grundversicherung gelten. Ohne das speziell zu erwähnen gehen viele Stimmberechtigte von einer falschen Annahme aus. Das wird den Stimmausgang massiv beeinflussen. Ich stimme NEIN
Hello,
Thank you for your comment. In fact, this cap only applies to basic insurance, which is compulsory and puts many low-income households in difficulty.
To find out more about the initiative: https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/politique-federale/plafonner-les-primes-maladie-%c3%a0-10-du-revenu-mesure-efficace-ou-contre-productive/75051142
Bonjour,
Merci de votre commentaire. Effectivement, ce plafonnement ne s'applique qu'à l'assurance de base, celle qui est obligatoire et met en difficultés de nombreux ménages modestes.
Pour en savoir plus sur l'initiative: https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/politique-federale/plafonner-les-primes-maladie-%c3%a0-10-du-revenu-mesure-efficace-ou-contre-productive/75051142
Because when you start taking an interest in these private groups like Groupe Mutuel, they never answer your questions. They pay, but they say: if you want answers, go and ask the person we've paid. We go and ask them and they say I actually have a choice, I don't work for them. We have no idea what they're talking about.
Parce que quand on commence à s’intéresser à ces groupes privés comme Groupe mutuel ils ne répondent jamais aux questions. Ils paient mais ils: si vous voulez des réponses allez interroger plutôt la personne qu’on a payé. On va l’interroger et pareil ils dit j’ai en réalité le choix, je ne travaille pas pour eux. On ne sait rien de quoi ils parlent.
We don't even know what they're talking about and the decisions they make in private. If we could at least know, we could judge whether it's fair what they're doing or not. That's all there is to it.
On ne sait même pas de quoi ils parlent et des décisions qu’ils prennent en privé. Si on pouvait au moins savoir on pourra juger si c’est juste ce qu’ils font ou pas. C’est tout.
And that new invention, the militia politician. They get paid by pharmaceutical groups and insurance companies to increase premiums every year, when in reality the problem lies elsewhere. I watched the debates on the single health insurance fund and frankly there was no argument against it. The argument was: we help people with their taxes, the rich also pay a lot, but the root of the problem is that most people already pay enough with their taxes and another tax, health premiums. As long as you receive money from an insurance company, that insurance company expects you to do your job properly. And the person can say all day long that it's not true, I don't work for them, we're from the field so we can see the situation better, but it's still a conflict of interest that will always benefit the insurers. It's either you work just for the people or just for the insurance companies, but you don't get paid by both. Being paid by a private group to work in its interests is called corruption, because when you're paid you have no choice but to obey. And corruption is a criminal offence.
Et cette nouvelle invention qu’on a inventé politicien de milice. Ils se font payer par les groupes pharmaceutiques, par les assurances pour venir augmenter les primes chaque année alors qu’en réalité le problème se trouve ailleurs. J’ai regardé les débats de la caisse unique et franchement il y avait aucun argument pour y être contre. On est partie sur: on aide les personnes avec les impôts, les riches paient aussi très cher, mais le fond du problème c’est que la plupart ds gens paient déjà assez avec les impôts et un autre impôt que sont les primes maladies. Du moment que tu reçois de l’argent par une assurance c’est que cette assurance attends de toi que tu fasses bien ton travail. Et la personne peut dire toute la journée c’est pas vrai je ne travaille pas pour eux, nous sommes du terrain donc grâce à ça on voit mieux la situation, ça reste un conflit d’intérêt qui profitera toujours aux assurances. C’est soit on travaille juste pour le peuple soit juste pour les assurances mais on se fait pas payer par les deux. Être payer par un groupe privé pour travailler pour son intérêt ça s’appelle de la corruption, car quand on est payé on a pas le choix d’obéir. Et la corruption ça se traduit au pénal.
% of income!
% vom Einkommen!
Hello,
Between 1975 and 2000, I was already annoyed by the insane and continuous increases in health insurance premiums, which were in the hands of PRIVATE insurance companies that were generating colossal profits. The Swiss Confederation and its various governments have always allowed this to happen, even though their DUTY is to ESTABLISH A SINGLE FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FUND. We left Switzerland with regret, but our rents were also far too expensive for our modest incomes. Add to that the cost of living, and the decision to leave was quickly made...
The cost of healthcare is disproportionately high in Switzerland compared with its neighbours. It is spiralling out of control and must be brought under control by law. We think that capping premiums at 10% of income is still too high. France is doing better. PRIVATE health insurance companies should be abolished and the astronomical salaries of the medical profession should be controlled. Health is not a commodity. Switzerland is hardly an example of this! We continue to hope that our fellow citizens will take action or revolt. THE GOVERNMENT MUST ACT!
Yours sincerely
Sevestre.
Bonjour,
Durant les années 1975 à 2000 je m'énervais déjà des augmentations démentes et continuelles des primes d'assurances maladies aux mains de caisses PRIVÉES qui généraient des bénéfices colossaux. La Confédération et les différents gouvernements ont toujours laisser faire alors que leur DEVOIR est de METTRE EN PLACE UNE CAISSE UNIQUE FÉDÉRALE. Nous avons quittés la Suisse à regret mais nos loyers était eux aussi bien trop CHERS pour nos modestes revenus. Ajouter au coût de la vie, la décision de partir s'est vite IMPOSÉE...
Le coût de la santé est disproportionné en CH par rapport à ses voisins. Il dérape et doit être maîtrisé par la Loi. Nous trouvons que le plafonnement des primes à 10% des revenus est encore trop haut. La France fait mieux. Il faut supprimer les caisses PRIVÉES et encadrer les salaires faramineux du corps médical. La Santé n'est pas une marchandise. La Suisse pour le coup n'est vraiment pas un exemple ! Nous continuons à espérer un sursaut ou une révolte de nos concitoyens. LE GOUVERNEMENT DOIT AGIR !
Cordialement,
Sevestre.
Hello,
Thank you for your interesting contribution. It's interesting to learn that health costs were one of the factors that prompted you to leave Switzerland.
The people have already twice rejected the creation of a single health insurance scheme. Do you think that this proposal would win a majority today?
Yours sincerely
Katy Romy
Bonjour,
Merci de votre intéressant contribution. Il est intéressant d'apprendre que les coûts de la santé ont fait partie des facteurs qui vous ont poussé à quitter la Suisse.
Le peuple a déjà refusé par deux fois la création d'une caisse maladie unique. Pensez-vous que cette proposition obtiendrait aujourd'hui une majorité?
Cordialement,
Katy Romy
Thank you all for your many contributions. We've compiled your ideas into an article: https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/politique-federale/les-suisses-de-l%c3%a9tranger-imaginent-des-solutions-pour-r%c3%a9duire-les-frais-de-sant%c3%a9/77100131
Please continue to share your ideas for reducing healthcare costs with us!
Merci à toutes et à tous pour vos nombreuses contributions. Nous avons rassemblé vos idées dans un article: https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/politique-federale/les-suisses-de-l%c3%a9tranger-imaginent-des-solutions-pour-r%c3%a9duire-les-frais-de-sant%c3%a9/77100131
N'hésitez pas à continuer à partager vos idées pour réduire les coûts de la santé avec nous!
Pfizer has been fined 10 billion euros over the last 15 years for blackmail, corruption and embezzlement involving medicines. These fines have been reflected in the prices of the drugs they put on the market. So the problem of rising healthcare costs is not that people are getting older. Nor is it that they are demanding more or unnecessary care. Correcting the problem requires more courage than that.
Pfizer a été condamné à payer 10 milliards d’amendes ces 15 dernières années pour chantage, corruption, malversation sur des médicaments. Ces amendes ont répercutées sur les prix des médicaments qu’ils mettent sur le marché. Donc le problème des hausses des coûts de la santé ne vient pas que les gens deviennent de plus en plus vieux. Il ne vient pas non plus qu’ils demandent plus de soins ou des soins inutiles. Pour corriger le problème il faut avoir plus de courage que ça.
In Switzerland, the price of vaccines is unknown, which is why I'm taking the example of Europe, which has the courage to be transparent.
En Suisse le prix des vaccins et inconnus c’est pourquoi je prends l’exemple de l’Europe qui on le courage d’être transparent.
To take just one example, the Covid vaccine. It cost a few centimes to produce and was sold for 15 euros in Europe, then increased to 19 euros. In Switzerland, the crisis was so badly managed from start to finish that we just threw away the surplus vaccines and called it a day. I think that's where the problem lies, nowhere else.
Et pour prendre juste un exemple, le vaccin Covid. Il a coûté quelque centime à la production et on le a vendu 15.- euros en Europe puis on les a augmenté à 19.-. En Suisse on a tellement mal géré cette crise du début à la fin qu’on a juste balancé à la poubelle les vaccins en trop et on a dit c’est finit. Moi je pense que le problème vient de là, nulle part ailleurs.
Hello,
I say that workers' wages should no longer be touched. As an electrician, I pay rent, tax, health insurance (374.- for an excess of 2500.-), and at the end of the month I have 600.00 left. And I'm a simple person, I don't go to restaurants, I don't travel, I don't have children. I feel sorry for people who are in the same situation and who want to live.
Workers' wages should not be touched. Because at the rate we're going, and at the rate we've been going for the last two years, we'll be able to keep scraping by workers, but there'll come a time when we won't be able to. In two years we've lost almost €100, and if it goes on like this there won't be anything left for us to take, we'll have to look elsewhere.
Instead of setting up a public health insurance fund to transfer all the profits to help with care (apart from that my subsidy is 30.-. I don't know if this is a joke or if the big politicians know what they're doing, because for 30.- I just feel like saying that I don't need your help, sincerely), understand why we pay more than Europeans for the same medicines and services, why prices are going up even though insurance companies are legally obliged to set aside reserves (2 billion in reserves, which represents 200% of what is recommended by the Confederation, so their financial situation is more than good, and prices should therefore be lowered or higher subsidies granted), transfer part of the money spent on healthcare to the army. And tax those who have money instead of always taxing the workers.
We should now impose a limit on workers, our salary you touch more. You can do your business and earn billions, I'm sincerely not interested in that, but you shouldn't be looking at our wages any more. If it increases, yes, but not as things stand.
I know I'm talking in a vacuum and that nothing's going to change. But when the real workers stop working, I don't think we'll be able to make a country work with just talk and words left and right.
Bonjour,
Moi je dis que le salaire des travailleurs on ne dois plus y toucher. En tant qu’électriciens je paie le loyer, les impôts, l’assurance maladie (374.- pour une franchise à 2500.-), et à la fin du mois il me reste 600.-. Et je suis une personne simple, je ne vais pas au restaurant, je ne fais pas de voyage, j’ai pas d’enfant. Je plains surtout les personnes qui sont dans la même situation et qui ont envie de vivre.
Le salaire des travailleurs on ne devrait plus y toucher. Parce que à ce rythme et ce qui s’est fait ces deux dernières années, on pourra continuer à grater chez les travailleurs mais viendra un moment où ce ne sera plus possible. En deux ans on a perdu presque 100.-, si ça continue y aura plus rien à prendre chez nous faudra chercher ailleurs.
Au lieu de faire une caisse publique d’assurance maladie pour reverser tous les bénéfices au profit d’aide aux soins (parenthèse à part mon subsides s’élève à 30.-. Je ne sais pas si s’est une plaisanterie où si les grands politiciens savent ce qu’ils font parce que pour 30.- j’ai limite envie de dire que votre aide je n’en ai pas besoin, sincèrement), comprendre pourquoi pour les mêmes médicaments et prestations nous payons plus que les européens, pourquoi les prix augmentent alors que les assurances ont l’obligation légales de faire des réserves (2 milliard de réserves ce qui représentent 200% de ce qui est préconiser par la confédération, donc leur situation financière et plus que bonne, les prix devrait donc être revue à la baisse ou accorder des aides plus importantes), reverser une partie des finances consacrer à l’armée pour les soins. Et taxer ceux qui ont de l’argent au lieu de taxer toujours les travailleurs.
On devrait maintenant imposer une limite pour les travailleurs, notre salaire vous y toucher plus. Vous pouvez faire votre business et gagner des milliards ça ne m’intéresse sincèrement pas mais notre salaire il faut plus le regarder. S’il augmente oui mais à l’état actuel des choses non.
Je sais que je parle dans le vide et qu’il y a rien qui va changer. Mais quand les vrais travailleurs arrêteront de travailler, je ne pensent pas qu’avec juste de la parole, des mots à droite à gauche on réussi à faire fonctionner un pays.
We prefer the term "Swiss abroad" to "Swiss abroad". We are first and foremost Swiss and not foreigners. We live in Italy and have our health insurance in Switzerland.
Italy has a well-functioning healthcare system. Basic care and emergency services are free for everyone. You pay for basic insurance with your taxes.
The healthcare market worldwide is a growth market, especially in Switzerland, dependent on supply, demand and incentives. In a complex market, it is difficult to reduce costs. This is already the task of the price watchdog and the Federal Council. This is obviously not working. Political steering measures fail in Switzerland due to federalism and lobbying. It also needs to be said out loud: Nobody wants so-called two-tier medicine. But that is exactly what we have had for a long time, we even have a three-tier medical system with people with general, semi-private and private insurance.
One approach would be to introduce a single health insurance fund for everyone. This fund would cover the costs of basic medical care, including emergency care. A consensus is needed on what is included in basic care and which services are reimbursed and how. Consistent digitalisation of patient files, supra-regional cooperation (across cantonal borders) and binding cost estimates would be a basis, as would the controllability of this health insurance fund, with the Confederation and cantons being majority shareholders and the success criteria being verifiable and measurable.
Anything that goes beyond basic care can be insured privately, such as hospital supplements, compensation for loss of earnings, etc.
As long as the healthcare system is not controllable, as it is in Switzerland, costs will continue to rise and more and more individuals and families will have to be insured by the welfare system because they can no longer afford the premiums. As a result, the system itself creates social recipients and makes everything even more expensive.
The centre party's proposal to curb costs may alleviate the problem. However, the aim is not to put the brakes on, but to control them. The healthcare system and the associated costs must become controllable and be subject to a mandatory consensus procedure. The Social Democrat's proposal is only person- or premium-orientated and creates new problems. My fear is therefore that the market will continue to grow and that the links between the interests of health insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, chief physicians, universities, patients and lobbyists will find ways to grow further.
Wir ziehen den Begriff "Schweizer:innen im Ausland" dem Wort "Auslandschweizer" vor. Wir sind in erster Linie Schweizerinnen und Schweizer und nicht Ausländer. Wir leben in Italien und haben unsere Krankenkasse in der Schweiz.
Italien hat ein gut funktionierendes Gesundheitswesen. Die Grundversorgung und Notfalldienste sind für alle gratis. Die Grundversicherung bezahlt man mit den Steuern.
Der Gesundheitsmarkt weltweit ist ein Wachstumsmarkt, besonders in der Schweiz, abhängig von Angebot, Nachfrage und Anreizen. In einem komplexen Markt ist es schwierig, die Kosten zu senken. Das ist ja schon Aufgabe des Preisüberwachers und des Bundesrates. Das funktioniert offenbar nicht. Politische Lenkungsmassnahmen scheitern in der Schweiz am Föderalismus und durch Lobbyismus. Ausserdem muss es einmal ausgesprochen werden: Niemand will eine sogenannte Zweiklassen Medizin. Aber genau das haben wir schon lange, wir haben sogar eine Dreiklassen Medizin mit allgemein-, halbprivat- und privatversicherten Personen.
Ein Ansatz wäre die Einführung einer Einheitskrankenkasse für alle. Diese Kasse deckt die Kosten für die medizinische Grundversorgung, einschliesslich der Notfallversorgung. Es braucht einen Konsens, was alles in der Grundversorgung eingeschlossen ist und welche Leistungen wie vergütet werden. Eine konsequente Digitalisierung der Patientenakten, eine überregionale Zusammenarbeit (über Kantonsgrenzen) hinweg und verbindliche Kostenvoranschläge wären eine Grundlage, so wie die Steuerbarkeit dieser Krankenkasse, indem Bund und Kantone Mehrheitsaktionäre sind und die Erfolgskriterien nachprüfbar und messbar sein müssen.
Alles was über die Grundversorgung hinaus geht, kann privat dazu versichert werden, wie Spitalzusatz, Lohnausfallentschädigung, etc.
Solange das Gesundheitswesen nicht steuerbar ist, so wie in der Schweiz, werden die Kosten wachsen und immer mehr Einzelpersonen und Familien müssen durch die Fürsorge versichert werden, weil sie die Prämien nicht mehr bezahlen können. Dadurch schafft das System selbst Sozialempfänger und macht alles zusätzlich teurer.
Der Vorschlag der Mittepartei zur Kostenbremse mildert das Problem möglicherweise. Es geht aber nicht darum zu bremsen, sondern zu steuern. Das Gesundheitswesen und die damit verbundenen Kosten müssen steuerbar werden, und obligatorisch einem Konsensverfahren ausgesetzt sein. Der Vorschlag des Sozialdemokraten ist nur Personen- oder Prämienorientiert und schafft neue Probleme. Daher ist meine Befürchtung, dass der Markt weiter wächst und die Interessenverknüpfungen zwischen Krankenkassen, Pharmaindustrie, Spitälern, Chefärzten, Universitäten, Patienten und Lobbyisten Wege finden werden, weiter zu wachsen.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It's interesting to read that your experience of the Italian healthcare system is good. We often hear negative things about it.
The subject of a single health insurance fund comes up regularly. But this proposal has already been rejected in a federal referendum. Do you think that the people would accept such a change of system today?
Bonjour,
Merci de partager votre expérience avec nous. C'est intéressant de lire que votre expérience du système de santé italien est bonne. On entend souvent des choses négatives à ce propos.
Le thème de la caisse maladie unique revient régulièrement. Cette proposition a pourtant déjà été refusée en votations fédérales. Pensez-vous qu'aujourd'hui le peuple accepterait un tel changement de système?
We need to make a distinction between the so-called diseases of civilisation and those created from scratch by agrochemicals, whether local or imported.
The poisoning of the earth, water and air are the major factors in the decline in health, while many ancestral diseases such as pollomelytis and tuberculosis have disappeared.
Age is another factor, and the time when all the excesses of years of over-consumption become acutely apparent.
To reduce the costs, or at least limit them, we need to launch a federal campaign to get to the source of the major dysfunctions: food, its excesses, drugs, alcohol consumption and narcotics.
There will come a time when these burdens will be unbearable for everyone.
So let's get back to basics: "Let your food be your medicine".
Il faudrait faire une distinction entre les maladies dites de civilisation et celles créées de toutes pièces induites par l'agrochimie, locale ou d'importation.
L'empoisonnement de la terre, des eaux, de l'air sont les facteurs majeurs des dérives de la santé alors qu'une bonne partie des maladies ancestrales ont disparu, pollomelyte, tuberculose, etc.
L'âge aussi est un facteur supplémentaire et le moment où tous les excès d'années de surconsommation se manifestent avec acuité.
Pour réduire les coûts ou tout au moins les limiter il faudrait lancer une campagne fédérale pour aller à la source des dysfonctionnements majeurs, alimentation, ses excès, drogue, consommation d'alcools et stupéfiants.
Il arrivera un moment où ces charges seront insupportables pour tout un chacun.
Donc revenons aux basiques 'que ton aliment soit ton médicament"
Recipe a bit too simplistic: people are living longer and the narrative of bad food does not hold water at all. Rather, there is an excessive demand for health services and there is also the claim that in old age (over 90) one has the right to undergo unhelpful operations and to take very expensive, even unhelpful drugs.
Ricetta un po' troppo semplicistica: la gente continua a campare di più e la narrazione del pessimo cibo non regge affatto. Piuttosto c'è un'eccessiva richiesta di servizi sanitari e si pretende anche che in tarda età (oltre i 90) si abbia il diritto a subire operazioni poco utili e ad assumere farmaci costosissimi, pure poco utili.
Capitalism and a healthcare system that serves people do not go together. Pharmaceutical companies want to make a profit, shareholders want to see high returns. Prophylaxis is therefore not profitable. Research belongs in universities, not in corporations. The USA has the most expensive healthcare system - fully privatised. Our healthcare system is becoming more and more expensive. The Cubans have the best healthcare system - despite the inhumane and cynical blockade of Cuba by the USA.
Kapitalismus und ein Gesundheitssystem, das den Menschen dient, passen nicht zusammen. Die Pharmakonzerne wollen Profit machen, die Aktionäre hohe Renditen sehen. Prophylaxe ist daher nicht rentabel. Die Forschung gehört an die Unis, nicht in Konzerne. Das teuerste Gesundheitssystem haben die USA - voll privatisiert. Unser Gesundheitssystem wird immer teurer. Das beste Gesundheitssystem haben die Kubander - trotz der unmenschlichen und zynischen Blockade der USA gegen Kuba.
Again with these anti-capitalist narratives! Cuba is perhaps the only country where real communism is still in force, and apart from churning out doctors in supernumerary, their economy is bankrupt. Capitalism is now practised everywhere in the world, including Russia and China. In essence, there are only two forms of capitalism today: liberal-democratic and one-party capitalism.
Rather than lashing out at political 'maximum systems', the multiple (excessive!) health insurance funds should be changed to a single but state-run and even stricter health insurance fund.
Ancora con queste narrazioni anticapitalistiche! Cuba è forse l'unico paese ove vige ancora il comunismo reale, e a parte che sfornare medici in sovrannumero, la loro economia è fallimentare. Oggi il capitalismo è ormai praticato ovunque nel mondo, Russia e Cina comprese. In sostanza, oggi ci sono solo due forme di capitalismo: quello liberale- democratico e quello a partito unico.
Piuttosto che prendersela coi "massimi sistemi" politici, andrebbero cambiate le casse malati plurime (eccessive!) con una cassa malati unica ma statale e anche più rigorosa.
Unlike other countries, the Swiss health system is almost entirely privately run by health insurance companies. Everybody is required by law to pay the very expensive premiums. That's OK for the wealthy or if you benefit from a company-paid insurance included in your salary package.. But what about low income people, the disabled, the unemployed? Premiums are unaffordable and end up in part being paid through city and cantonal subsidies.
Depending on the insurer you choose, you will also have to pay a proportion of the medical bills yourself. There will also be an excess ("franchise") which is paid by you before the insurance kicks in. Getting sick can be a drain on your finances.
Many of the big city hospitals lack the funds to function properly. Staff shortages mean hospitals have to recruit massively from abroad. At the same time, critics of the system accuse insurance company bosses of wasting millions of CHF on unnecessary luxuries.
Although touted as being a triumph of the private sector, the system in fact ends up requiring huge subsidies of taxpayer's money.
Switzerlands's parliament should set up a national commission to examine other ways of organizing health care and reform the system.
Nationalise the system. Like with all insurance, how much of what we pay goes towards private company overheads, staff salaries and bonuses and shareholder dividends? One system for all would work here, as it's such a small country. Plus stop the time wasters abusing the system - those who see a doctor for minor ailments such as a cold. Those who call an ambulance for non-emergencies. All of these push up what we pay. Plus check what pharmacies charge. I once had a prescription and went to a pharmacy. I said I'd pay cash. They said no, my insurance would pay (except I had not used up my excess). I checked the final amount. It was 4x what I would have paid in cash.
Like the U.K. NHS?
In January I paid CHF 1,000 in premiums for 3 people (2 adults + 1 child). I went for a biopsy for suspected breast cancer (fortunately there was nothing), 1500 CHF. The doctor screwed up and asked for a new biopsy because he wasn't sure he'd cut off the right piece of flesh to test (it's difficult to do, they told me). We decided to cut our costs in Switzerland and go abroad for treatment (the biopsy cost CHF 90).
Everything is going wrong in this paragraph:
You pay a lot per month AND you don't get reimbursed a penny (excess at 2500).
Exorbitant costs compared with other countries.
So yes, we need to find solutions, and if the vote on 9 January can help, then I say YES.
En Janvier j'ai payé 1000 CHF de primes pour 3 personnes (2 adultes + 1 enfant). J'ai été faire une biopsie pour une suspicion de cancer du sein (heureusement il n'y avait rien), 1500 CHF. Le médecin s'est planté et à demandé de faire une nouvelle biopsie car il n'était pas sur d'avoir charcuté le bon bout de chair à tester (c'est difficile à faire m'ont-ils indiqué). Nous avons préféré arrêter les frais en Suisse et nous faire soigner à l'étranger (la biopsie y a couté 90 CHF).
Dans ce paragraphe tout va mal:
On paye par mois beaucoup ET on est pas remboursé un kopek (franchise à 2500)
Des couts exhorbitants par rapport à d'autres pays.
Alors oui il faut trouver des solutions et si la votation du 9 janvier peut aider alors je dis OUI
Thank you for your comment. Your experience is very interesting. Where do you go for treatment abroad?
Merci de votre commentaire. Votre expérience est très intéressante. Où allez-vous vous faire soigner à l'étranger?
The increasingly burdensome increase for Swiss households is a direct consequence of the slowing down of the Administration, comfortably settled and trying not to make too much movement in order not to innovate and that this result creates some inconvenience to their bucolic estates. There must be greater empathy and generate tools to update and improve self-financing systems. To do so, it is necessary to get on the right track and start working seriously to improve the system. Respectful Greetings.
El incremento cada vez mas oneroso para los hogares Suizos es consecuencia directa de la ralentizacion de la Administracion, comodamente asentada y tratando de no hacer mucho movimiento para no innovar y que ese resultado les cree algun inconveniente a sus bucolicos estamentos. Debe existir una mayor empatia y generar herramientas que actualicen y mejoren los sistemas de auto financiamiento. Para ello es necesario arremenarse y ponerse a trabajar en serio para mejorar el sistema. Respetuosos Saludos.
Procedures covered should definitely not be reduced, though for a while household financial help may or may not be increased. More research and debate is required into why the premiums are going up in the first place, and to stem the cost increase there itself. A lot of times premiums go up due to the prices of prescription drugs. These prices are negotiated by insurers with the pharma companies. If the price is increased, the cost is passed on the customer as a raised premium. The state can perhaps start offering basic insurance, to force private players to innovate and reduce costs. There are flaws in this plan, but it gets the ball rolling in the right direction.
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