Needy families receive support: the canton of Valais pays 500 Stutz for the dentist

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Historical: The canton of Valais decided almost unanimously last Thursday to support needy families with dental costs. In the future, you should receive a maximum of 500 francs per year per household to pay dental costs. About 2,500 households are expected to benefit from the financial support.

The decision of the Grand Council is based on a report by the Valais Health Observatory published in the summer of 2022. This shows that almost a third of Valais residents refrain from dental treatment. And that’s because they don’t have enough money!

First canton with a compromise

Seven years ago, various parties, together with trade unions, wanted to introduce compulsory dental insurance through an initiative. In concrete terms, they demanded: Everyone in Valais had to be insured. The package that has now been accepted is the counter-proposal to the initiative.

The Valais Minister of Health Mathias Reynard (36) is satisfied. He tells Blick: “Valais is the first canton to find a compromise here. It is clear that we are still a long way from mandatory dental insurance. But at least around 7,000 people will now receive financial support.”

1.8 million francs per year

According to Reynard, the canton estimates the cost of the support at 1.8 million francs per year. One million goes to people who need financial support. 800,000 francs will be invested in prevention – mainly in schools. “The costs for oral care are reimbursed up to the age of 18, and only from the age of 16, as is currently the case,” said the Valais Minister of Health.

Reynard would like to expand financial support for dental care to the middle class. But: “Our cantonal resources are limited,” he explains. Reynard is therefore in favor of a solution at the federal level and says: “Dental care must be regulated in the Health Insurance Act. I regret that this is not the case. Because this is a real public health problem.”

Source:Blick