Patients will not have to pay out extra money for health services before the health insurance covers the costs, after parliament surprisingly threw out the controversial proposal on Friday.
In a previous decision earlier this month, parliament had agreed to increase the deductible paid by patients to CHF350 ($350) annually under certain conditions.
Supporters said the CHF50 hike would help reduce health costs and encourage patients to make less frequent use of medical products and services. Opponents, notably from the political left, had warned that the increase would cause hardship for the less well-off who could no longer afford to get treatment.
However, the proposal fell down during the final vote in parliament on Friday, after the rightwing Swiss People’s Party changed its mind and voted against it.
U-turn
The party’s president Albert Rösti had already announcedExternal link the party’s intention in the media on Wednesday, saying that decision came after feedback from members and that it was not right that the “health insurance was redeveloped at the cost of the sick”.
Political opponents have accused the party of a U-turn to win voters in election year.
Basic health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland.
The leftwing Social Democratic Party and a consumer group had announced a plan to challenge the legal reform had it been accepted.
Two major political parties, the Social Democrats as well as the Christian Democrats, are currently collecting signatures for separate constitutional amendments to cap mandatory health insurance premiums.
More
More
Initiative launched to cap health insurance premiums
This content was published on
A people’s initiative wants health insurance premiums to not exceed 10% of income with the balance paid for by the state.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss cinemas report drop in admissions in first half of 2024
This content was published on
The decline in cinema-goers has continued so far this year. Swiss films and smaller cinemas are holding up better than big US productions and multiplex.
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Some 620 trails are still closed due to the extreme weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten off Zurich and Bern to make it onto the shortlist to host the Europe-wide singing extravaganza next May.
This content was published on
Construction expenditure rose by 0.3% last year in nominal terms, but the price-adjusted situation reveals a 2.5% drop, statistics show.
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
The body found in the Maggia river in Ticino on Thursday is “likely” to be the sixth victim of storms last month, police said.
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
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.
Read more
More
Parliament wants patients to pay more for health costs
This content was published on
Patients could face higher costs for medical products and services following parliament's decision to raise the minimum health insurance deductibles.
This content was published on
Curing cancer for the masses could be challenging if healthcare systems are crippled by rapidly rising cancer drug prices.
Authorities seek collective health insurance for asylum seekers
This content was published on
The Swiss government has put out a public tender for a collective health insurance to cover all asylum seekers in its federal centres.
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.