The centrist Christian Democratic Party has handed in signatures to force a national vote on their plan to reduce the cost of health insurance payments in Switzerland.
“Our initiative concretely tackles the biggest concern of the Swiss population,” the party wrote in a press release on Tuesday, as it submitted the 119,000 signatures in Bern.
The initiative demands that federal and cantonal authorities implement measures whenever health insurance premiums rise faster than the equivalent of 1/5th of the rise in salaries.
Such measures could include encouraging more use of generic drugs, taking steps to lower the costs of these generic drugs (they are currently much more expensive in Switzerland than elsewhere) as well as reducing “wastage” and “over-consumption”, the party reckonsExternal link.
The initiative comes just a few weeks after the left-wing Social Democrats handed in signatures for their proposal to tackle high health insurance costs – which they want to legally cap at 10% of household income; down from the 14% they claim is currently the average.
A third, cross-party initiative on the same issue was also launched last year.
Over the past two decades, health and health insurance have consistently been among the top three concerns of the Swiss people, according to the annual Credit Suisse Worry Barometer.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
New health insurance premiums are ‘good news’ for most
This content was published on
While many in Switzerland can look forward to lower health insurance premiums next year, some will be paying nearly 3% more.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.