10% initiative and indirect counter-proposal

Per capita healthcare costs continue to rise at rates that by far outstrip the cost of living and wage growth. Health insurance premiums rise at the same rate, as premiums must always cover costs. CSS sees this tendency, which is causing many households – especially middle-income families – to experience financial difficulties, as a matter of concern.

The 'Premium Relief initiative' (or 10% initiative) rejected by the electorate on 9 June 2024 sought to cap the premium burden at 10% of a household's available income and to harmonise the system of individual premium reductions (IPR). However, CSS believed the initiative did nothing to address the root causes of cost growth and saw it merely as an expensive way of tackling symptoms. Instead, CSS supported the indirect counter-proposal that will now enter into force. This means that the cantons must henceforth spend a minimum amount equivalent to 3.5-7.5% of the costs for mandatory basic insurance on premium reductions. In other words, cantons with higher healthcare costs and a higher household premium burden will have to pay more overall than cantons with lower costs, thus creating incentives for the cantons to take measures to rein in costs (e.g. hospital planning, tariff approvals or the recognition of providers of outpatient services). The consultation procedure on implementing the counter-proposal ran until the end of March 2025.

Reforms in the healthcare sector, which have an impact not only on the financing side but also on the cost side, remain necessary. Therefore, in addition to implementing the indirect counter-proposal, it is especially important to curb healthcare costs and thus relieve the burden placed on the insured persons, as is the aim of the current reforms (e.g. implementation of uniform financing, outpatient medical tariff, medication prices).