Blow in the Council of States: he did not respond on Wednesday to the indirect counter-proposal of the Bundesrat to the SP’s initiative to reduce premiums. This means that he does not want to discuss the counterproposal at all.
The decision was narrow, by a vote of 22 to 20. Central alderman Benedikt Würth (54, SG) submitted the application for this. He argued that premium discounts are a matter for the cantons – and they take their responsibility seriously.
The cantons should see for themselves
He in no way disputes that the health care premium is becoming a problem for more and more households, Würth emphasized. However, the cantons would know best “how best to dose the individual premium discount”.
Jakob Stark (64, SVP) of Thurgau also opposed the “dirigist and centralized solution” that would give space to the cantons. “The cantons feel the responsibility and will take it.”
Federal Council sees the need for action
The SP’s initiative requires that no insured person has to pay more than ten percent of disposable income for compulsory health insurance (OKP) premiums. To achieve this, the Confederation and the cantons should do more to reduce premiums. The federal government must bear at least two-thirds of the costs, the cantons the rest.
That is too much for the Bundesrat, which then drafted an indirect counter-proposal. This stipulates that the contribution of each canton to the premium reduction must correspond to a minimum percentage of its healthcare costs.
The National Council clearly accepted the indirect counter-proposal during the general vote in mid-June this year – deciding that another CHF 2 billion should be spent on additional premium cuts.
Zoff in the middle group
Spicy: The Health Committee of the State Council also wanted to follow the Federal Council’s counter-proposal. That is why the cantons should now spend at least 5 to 7.5 percent of the cantonal costs of health insurance on the premium reduction. This new requirement would have resulted in additional costs of approximately CHF 493 million for the cantons.
Especially the decision of the Council of States in the middle party from which the motion of non-admission came – van Würth – caused a lot of anger. The parliamentary group spoke in a press release of “refusal to discuss”. However, six of their own councilors voted in favor of Würth’s proposal. The party chairman of the Junge Mitte, Marc Rüdisüli, became clearer on Twitter. “I am disappointed in our middle councilors,” he wrote.
The counterproposal is not yet off the table. It would only be definitively rejected if the National Council stopped considering it or if a council did not want to consider the bill a second time. In this case, the chances of the SP popular initiative at the ballot box should increase considerably. (sf/SDA)