Yes to uniform financing: reduce costs, improve care

The current Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) leads to an unequal distribution of healthcare costs and creates false incentives: inpatient treatments, where patients stay overnight in hospital, are favoured over outpatient procedures. Since the cantons cover a large share of inpatient costs, insurers have little incentive to consistently promote the outpatient sector.

These disincentives lead to unnecessary and expensive inpatient treatments and place a heavy burden on those paying premiums. The reform for the uniform financing of outpatient and inpatient services introduces fairer financing of inpatient and outpatient services and enables better coordination of health care providers. The reform aims to reduce the burden of premiums, optimise medical care and distribute costs more efficiently.

Strengthening outpatient medical care and nursing

Many treatments that are currently carried out on an inpatient basis could be carried out on an outpatient basis due to medical progress. Outpatient treatments are not only more cost-effective, but often less restrictive for patients, as they can recover in their familiar surroundings. Nevertheless, there are many unnecessary hospital admissions in Switzerland because the financing system makes inpatient treatments more attractive for insurers.

The reform promotes outpatient treatment by obliging the cantons to cover a share of the costs of outpatient treatment in the future. This reduces the burden on those paying premiums and creates incentives to focus more on outpatient rather than inpatient treatment. This is an important lever in view of the cost trend.

Improved coordination in the healthcare system

At present, the players in the healthcare system often act with little coordination. Service providers, insurers and cantons are poorly aligned, which leads to inefficient treatment processes. Due to the financing system, the coordination of care, especially in the outpatient sector, is unattractive because the savings are made in the inpatient sector, but the costs in the outpatient sector have to be borne in full by the health insurance funds.

With standardised financing, the financial self-interests of the stakeholders are overcome by a standardised financing system. This enables closer cooperation between doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare providers, which is particularly beneficial for chronically ill patients. Duplication and unnecessary multiple examinations can thus be avoided. The reform creates the basis for integrated, coordinated care in which all parties work together and patients receive the best possible care.

Relief for premium payers

Rising health insurance premiums are a major financial burden for many households. This is also due to the fact that the cantons do not contribute to the costs of outpatient treatment. Due to the increase in outpatient treatments, the premium payers are shouldering an ever-larger share of healthcare costs. The reform ensures that in the future the cantons will also contribute to outpatient costs, which will enable a fairer distribution of the financial burden and should stabilise the premium burden in the future.

The uniform financing system brings clarity and transparency to the financing of healthcare services. It eliminates the expensive deficiencies of the existing system and creates incentives for better cooperation between service providers, insurers and cantons. This will not only improve the quality of care but also curb the upward trend in healthcare costs. scienceindustries therefore supports the uniform financing system together with the Federal Council, Parliament, the cantons and numerous players in the healthcare sector.