Column by Stefan Meyerhans: The fees are intended only to cover expenses…

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In the past, I have repeatedly received messages from medical professionals who sometimes complained about very high fees in connection with their professional practice.

In Switzerland, medical professionals working under their own professional responsibility need a so-called cantonal practice permit. This is understandable as it ensures, for example, that the doctor or physiotherapist has the necessary qualifications. But this is not enough: in order to be able to bill for their services through compulsory health insurance, these professionals also need a “health insurance authorization.”

You’ve probably guessed it: since only death and taxes are free, both have fees. Now I took a closer look at these.

First of all, it should be noted that I am not questioning the board as such. Sometimes there is a complex service that needs to be compensated.

However, I cannot avoid a clear criticism: firstly, fees are not always transparently communicated. However, more significant are the extremely high differences between the cantons, which, in my opinion, are incomprehensible.

In theory, a professional license (for medical professions) can cost between 100 and 2400 francs. In practice the range is usually smaller: three quarters of the cantons charge a flat fee, ranging from 300 to 1000 francs. Fees for compulsory health insurance also vary widely, with about two-thirds of cantons charging a flat fee ranging from 200 to 900 francs.

After detailed explanations, I have doubts about the efficiency and compliance with the principle of cost recovery in some cantons, given the time required and the cost per hour per approval.

I call on all cantons to introduce flat fees instead of bandwidth. In my opinion, professional licenses should not exceed the thresholds of a maximum of 700 francs (medical professions) and a maximum of 500 francs (health professions).

The fee for admission to compulsory health insurance should be a maximum of 300 francs (medical professions) or a maximum of 200 francs (medical professions).

I also encourage all cantons to review their fees and make them easily accessible on their websites.

Source: Blick