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The steadily increasing health insurance premiums are the number one concern of the Swiss population. This shows the latest SRG election barometer. The Social Democrats have solutions for this, emphasizes co-parliamentary group president Samira Marti (SP/BL) in the “Saturday Rundschau” by Radio SRF. But miracles do not work either.
SRF News: The SP failed with the premium relief initiative last year. Now try premium discounts. Isn’t that old wine in new hoses?
Samira Marti: In September it is not the question of whether the health insurance premiums are increasing or not, but only how much they increase. In this sense, it is extremely important that we get into action. In no other country in Europe, the population finances such a high proportion of health care from their own pocket, completely regardless of what their own income looks like. This is extremely anti -social and means that it becomes a burden for the general population that is no longer portable. The premium discount initiative stipulates that the system of premiums is equated. Premium regions franchisses can also continue to be chosen, as can the health insurance company. But depending on the income, you either get a discount or a surcharge at the end. 85 percent of the population would pay less than they pay today.
There are many construction sites in healthcare.
Why such a complicated innovation? Wouldn’t it make more sense to screw on the distribution key just introduced, in which the cantons bear at least 27 percent and the health insurance companies at most 73 percent of the costs?
You can do that too, but of course it is already a different logic. I claim that our system of discounts and surcharges is easier. The challenge in the healthcare system is, of course, that there are a lot of construction sites and that you cannot solve everything at once with a popular initiative.
Assuming I get a discount, which incentive would I have to go to the emergency of a hospital because of every “Bobo”?
It depends on whether you go to the hospital because of an illness or an accident, but that you have to pay part of the costs yourself at the end would remain as before. You would continue to choose a franchise and there would be a deductible.
The so -called ‘market’ between the health insurance companies does not work.
Another medicine that the SP wants to prescribe the healthcare system is a unit fund. Today there are around 30 private health insurance companies, and there would be 26 cantonal unit cash registers. Why?
Because the so -called “market” does not work between these over 30 health insurance companies. This is a lot of effort, a lot of bureaucracy that is simply not necessary.
However, the administration effort is only around five percent of the total costs and the 26 cantonal unit cash registers would probably have no significantly lower effort than the 30 current ones.
Certain savings would definitely be possible because the health insurers would then cooperate with each other and would not be in competition. The change between the health insurers costs up to CHF 300 million today and the higher the premiums, the more people will change. And ultimately it simply makes no sense to talk about a competition in a market in which everyone is forced to consume the good, i.e. the insurance. Of course, this is not the only cost driver in the system. But if you don’t honor the rap, you are not worth the five.
The conversation was conducted by Klaus Ammann.
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