The people will speak on June 9 on two initiatives aimed at limiting the increase in health premiums. For national councilor Valérie Piller Carrard (PS/FR), the burden “on the backs of families, the middle class and retirees” is “always more important”, hence the socialist proposal to limit bonuses to 10% of salary.
The objective when LAMAL was created in 1996 was that “premiums do not exceed 8% of household income”. “Today, we are at 12, 14, even 20%, in certain cantons,” explains Valérie Piller Carrard on Monday in La Matinale de la RTS.
The Socialist Party has therefore decided to propose an initiative to limit the price of premiums to 10% of income because it is a “bearable” rate, while “beyond that, no” and “8% is much too low”.
We realize that this burden is becoming extremely important for policyholders and the population of French-speaking Switzerland.
>> On the subject, also read: The “Yes” camp for health premiums at 10% of income presents its arguments And Right-wing committee warns of potential danger of popular health initiatives
Too much weight on policyholders, not enough on public authorities
To reduce these bonuses, the PS is asking for a “greater commitment from public authorities, including the Confederation to the tune of two thirds”, specifies the RTS guest, and it refuses the counter-project proposed by the Federal Council which only increases the participation of the cantons.
“It is totally insufficient because it would provide almost no relief to any policyholder, particularly in French-speaking Switzerland.” And to continue: “We realize that this burden is becoming extremely important for policyholders and the population of French-speaking Switzerland.”
>> Read the arguments against indexing premiums to income: Premium initiatives: “An excellent destination, but the vehicle offered is not the most appropriate”
“Our initiative wants to go much further than this counter-project which is really minimal,” she reiterates. The national advisor regrets that it is up to the policyholders to assume the largest share of the evolution of costs while they have “no decision-making power over this perpetual increase”.
The insured bear 60% of all health costs and public authorities 36%, compared to around 80% in the countries of the European Union.
As it stands, “around 26% of policyholders receive reductions in health insurance premiums. With our initiative, we reach 75%”, indicates the socialist.
“The insured bear 60% of all health costs, public authorities 36%. If we compare with the European Union, the countries are at around 80% covered (…) certainly with very different systems,” she continues.
Put pressure on politics and lobbies
The Socialist Party still recommends federal measures, rather than directly cantonal, because certain costs are “decided at the federal level”, “such as the price of medicines, (…) the strengthening of primary care”, in particular, specifies Valérie Piller Carrard. And to note that “there are federal decisions which have cantonal repercussions”, while the costs vary according to the cantons.
“As long as there is a transfer of the additional burden of premiums to the Confederation and the cantons, we put additional pressure at the political level for measures to be taken,” she adds.
>> To go further, see the 7:30 p.m. topic on the price of medicines, as a preferred way to reduce health costs:
If there is no real pressure against the lobbies of the pharmaceutical industry or the health sector, we will not be able to achieve the objectives of reducing premiums and health costs.
La Fribourgeoise accuses the “lobbyists in Berne” of having “far too much influence on the measures proposed to reduce costs”.
>> To go further, watch the 12:45 p.m. topic on the influence of lobbies in the search for solutions to curb the explosion of health costs:
“We have two big problems in Switzerland: the question of bonuses (…) and that of costs (…) Today, if there is not real pressure against the lobbies of the pharmaceutical or health industry, we will not be able to achieve these objectives.”
But, “we are at a stage where financing has not yet been discussed”, underlines the national advisor who specifies that “there is no desire on our side to want to increase taxes to finance this service”.
She instead mentions “taxation of financial transactions” which could be “a very interesting path”. A discussion along these lines must be “carried out at the time of implementation” of the initiative, if it is successful, she concludes.
>> Discover the results of the SSR survey on the June 9 votes: Yes to the two health initiatives, electricity law popular, according to the first SSR survey
Comments collected by Pietro Bugnon
Web adaptation: Julie Marty
