Tag Archives: health

Switzerland’s health system is under strain. New drugs and treatments combined with an ageing population, along with cost inflation are the main drivers. This week, KPMG published a report quantifying the hole in Switzerland’s hospital finances. Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.comOnly 30% (14) of the 48 hospitals and clinics surveyed reported generating a profit. The other 70% were running at a loss. Extrapolating the results of this sample across all Swiss hospitals and clinics suggests a...

Switzerland’s system of compulsory health insurance already requires patients to pay a portion of medical bills in addition to paying premiums. To stem the rise in premiums, an old idea has resurfaced: make patients pay an even greater share of their medical costs. Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.comThis week, some political parties voiced support for a higher minimum deductible, an idea that has found limited support in the past, reported SRF. However, premiums have risen significantly...

Rising health insurance premiums, which partly fund Switzerland’s healthcare system, are a key concern among Swiss voters. An initiative that aims to subsidise the premiums of those on low incomes will be put to voters on 6 June 2024. Had the vote taken place in April 2024, 56% of voters would have supported it. However, a recent poll now puts the percentage at 50%, making the result difficult to call. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.comWhy has support for the initiative faded?...

This week, the price comparison website Comparis published an article containing estimates of health insurance premium rises next year. It expects premiums to rise by an average of 6% in 2025. Swiss © Rochu2008 | Dreamstime.comDespite average premiums rising 8.7% in 2024, some insurance companies will have thin reserves by the the end of the year, forcing them to hike premiums in 2025, said the company. Higher health care costs are behind the pressure to raise premiums, it said. Costs...

Data published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show a 2.5% rise in spending on healthcare in Switzerland in 2022. The increase is below the average rate of 3.2% over the five years before. © Polly In | Dreamstime.comDuring 2022, Switzerland spent CHF 91.5 billion on healthcare, which is more than CHF 10,000 per person. Between 2021 and 2022, spending rose CHF 2.2 billion. The largest cost components were hospital costs (32.6 billion), aged care (14.5 billion) and...

The cost of healthcare and the compulsory insurance residents must pay to fund it continue to rise. In 2022, healthcare spending rose 2.5%. At the same time, dental care is not covered. Politicians from the Green Party would like it included in basic cover. However, parliament voted against the idea this week, reported RTS. © Francisco Javier Zea LaraThe argument in favour of including dental care in basic insurance is that people on low incomes cannot afford the complimentary insurance...

A new study suggests that doctors and hospitals are overcharging by more than one billion francs every year, reported SRF. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comSome in the medical profession have questioned the sum, which came from doctoral research done by Larisa Petrov. Petrov is a lawyer and head of legal at the consulting firm Blacklight Analytics. She did the research while working as a lawyer at Helsana Insurance The excessive charges fall into two broad categories: overpriced...

This week, a government proposal presented as an alternative to a referendum aimed at limiting healthcare costs was rejected by initiative organisers. This means the question will be put to voters. © Alexey Novikov | Dreamstime.comThe initiative, which is supported by the Centre Party, would require actors in the healthcare system to agree on cost-cutting measures if healthcare costs grow significantly faster than wages and the economy – cost growth more than 20% higher than the nominal...

Across much of Europe, smoke detectors are a legal requirement. In Switzerland, they are not. The recent death of two people in a fire in Pfaffnau in the canton of Luzern has prompted calls to change the rules, reported SRF. © Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.comOn 19 March 2024, shortly after midnight, rescue workers were called to a burning apartment in Pfaffnau. Seven people were evacuated, three of whom were sent to hospital because of likely smoke inhalation. Two missing people were...

Since the beginning of March, Swiss health insurance companies have been covering the cost of Wegovy, a weight loss product, reported SRF. © Oleschwander | Dreamstime.comPreviously, Ozempic, a drug also used by diabetics, was being prescribed for weight loss. Going forward, it is expected that the drugs Wegovy and Saxenda will be prescribed for weight loss instead of Ozempic. This should relieve drug shortages for diabetics – people seeking Ozempic for weight loss have made it difficult...