Health costs: E -inflation compensation for hospitals?

The Swiss hospitals want their tariffs to be automatically increased with the inflation. In parliament, however, they remain without a chance.

The Swiss hospitals are fighting for their existence – at least they say. They have been complaining about too deep tariffs for years. Because of the lack of adjustments, it is impossible to cost a hospital.

The consequences: full emergency stations, long waiting times, poorer care. And deficits that the cantons always have to cover with taxpayers.

Hospitals want to fix inflation of inflation in the law

In the coming year, a new tariff system in the outpatient area is to bring some improvements. However, these were far from sufficient, the Hplus hospital association writes. Additional measures are therefore needed to improve the hospitals financially.

With the support of the cantons, the hospitals are currently calling for an automatic adjustment of the hospital tariffs to the inflation. This is currently not or only delayed. HPLUS writes of a « system error » that urgently needs to be corrected.

In the parliament, there are several advances in this direction, which HPLUS actively supports, such as a registry initiative from the canton of St. Gallen. She wants the operation to be ensured by hospital -relevant hospitals. To do this, the costs must be covered by the tariff and the tariff for the inflation would have to be adjusted. This means that cantons and health insurance companies have to pay more money.

Inpatient tariffs are increased regularly

However, the situation of the hospitals is not as negative as the number of health insurers show. The association of Swiss health insurers Prio.swiss writes in a background paper at least in the inpatient area. The tariffs in Swiss hospitals have been increased in recent years. And to the approximate amount of inflation.

These increases require a comprehensible data basis. This is only possible in retrospect: when the hospitals can show their costs transparently. The insurers then compare the costs and equal justified incorrect amounts.

Cost -covering operation with today’s tariffs is already possible, Prio.Swiss writes – provided a hospital works efficiently. The underfunding is primarily due to the fact that there is no higher -level hospital planning. In other words, too many hospitals that would work too little efficiently.

Hplus defends itself against it. The tariff adjustments in the inpatient area are not nationwide, and it is not clear to what extent they really make the inflation. In addition, there is a reduction of 25 percent in the outpatient area. Higher tariffs are necessarily needed. Otherwise, the care of the patients is at risk.

Objection to the Federal Council’s cost cover

It is doubted whether the situation with the new outpatient tariff system from 2026 improves. The Federal Council wants to introduce a cost cover: in a transition phase, health costs may increase by a maximum of 4 percent annually. The lid should apply at least for the next three to five years.

During this time, automatic inflation compensation should remain without chance. When asked, HPLUS admits that the demand for taking into account the inflation in the tariffs is “in a clear contradiction” to this cost cover. But the help from parliament should fail. The competent health commission recommends that the Council of States reject the inflation compensation.

The health commission also wants to wait for new foundations. In autumn, HPLUS presents a study that not only examines hospital financing, but also the basics of intercantonal hospital planning. Health politician Josef Dittli (UR/FDP) says the commission wanted to examine the results in detail: « And then we continue to see. »

The automatic inflation balance is not from the tapet. The step is mandatory to fix underfunding in all hospitals, Hplus writes. But a legal regulation goes too far, says Dittli: « That should have a difficult time politically. »