Votes of November 24: the Swiss vote on a modification of health insurance submitted to a referendum. Objective of the reform: to provide single funding for home and hospital care in order to simplify the health system and reduce costs. The referendum committee, guided by the SSP union, denounces the control of insurers over healthcare.
The sharks are the insurers. They prowl around their prey: hospitals, EMS and Imad before attacking them to tear them to pieces. This portrayal of opponents of the reform aims to alert the public to the harmful consequences of its implementation.
“It’s a less egalitarian, more opaque system that will increase costs”
It provides for uniform financing for the three areas of basic insurance: The cantons will pay 27% of the costs, premiums will finance a maximum of 73% of the costs. “It is a less egalitarian, more opaque system which will certainly increase health costs,” notes Caroline Renold, President of the association for the defense of patients and policyholders.
Deterioration of the working conditions of nursing staff and the quality of care
The reform will lead to a financial disengagement of the state in EMS and home care, opponents denounce. Consequence: the working conditions of nursing staff and the quality of care will deteriorate, including for the elderly. “The working conditions of personal assistants will be worse. They will no longer have time to take care of the elderly, which torments us enormously,” explains Annette Zimmermann, AVIVO Geneva committee member.
According to the OFSP, 400 million francs will be made each year
The Federal Council and a large part of Parliament support the project. Among them, national advisor Vincent Maitre. According to him, premiums will not increase, on the contrary. “The opponents are trying to scare themselves or the population by raising the specter of the all-powerful insurer,” he argues. On the contrary, since the insurers will pay ¾ of the bill, they are the ones who will have the keys to negotiate prices. In the end, savings of nearly 400 million francs will be made according to the OFSP each year,” concludes the federal elected official.
The Geneva state council has spoken out against the reform. If there is a yes vote at the ballot box, it must apply from 2028 then 2032 for long-term care.
