Rising healthcare costs

After the topic of “rising healthcare costs” was selected, the project team conducted an online survey. As part of this open participation process, which was published on the project website and freely accessible to everyone, all interested individuals could contribute their concerns, ideas, and perspectives on the issue. The survey was based on the software All Our Ideas and was offered in three language versions. It invited participants to prioritize questions within the topic of “rising healthcare costs” for the Citizens’ Assembly and to submit their own proposals for discussion.

A total of 881 people took part in the survey, submitting more than 40,000 votes. The survey results highlighted key concerns of the population in the area of healthcare, with some differences observed between the various language regions. Across regions, however, the findings point to a need for reforms aimed at improving the accessibility and efficiency of healthcare provision.

In German-speaking Switzerland, the focus was on the influence of lobby groups, strengthening individual responsibility, and reducing medically unnecessary visits to specialists. The promotion of prevention and health promotion within basic health insurance was also considered important.

In French-speaking Switzerland, the emphasis was on the financial burden on households and the shortage of healthcare staff. Other frequently mentioned issues included improving the financing of preventive services and better coordination of medical care.

In Italian-speaking Switzerland, the main concerns were the financial burden on households and the complexity of the healthcare system. In addition, the planning and financing of hospitals, as well as the reduction of medically unnecessary visits to specialists, were highlighted.
 

In parallel with the public participation process, Interface Politikstudien Forschung und Beratung AG  was commissioned to provide expert advice to the team at the Centre for Democracy Aarau. A policy field analysis (PDF, 776 KB) on the topic of “rising healthcare costs,” prepared by Interface, served as the basis for the project team to prepare the Citizens’ Assembly substantively. The analysis identified five key areas that are closely linked to rising healthcare costs:

• More treatments and procedures (increase in volume)

• Complex basic health insurance (design of compulsory health insurance, OKP)

• Large number of hospitals

• Lack of coordination in healthcare provision

• Untapped potential of health promotion and prevention

There were numerous overlaps between the policy field analysis and the open participation process. All of the areas addressed in the policy field analysis were also mentioned during public participation. These significant overlaps reinforced the project team’s decision to focus on the five themes identified in the policy field analysis.