SP shoots against its own Bundesrat

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Parents of children with disabilities are suddenly faced with bills for essential treatment equipment and supplies. Until now, disability insurance (IV) had paid these bills in full. But now she only pays part of the costs.

The fact that the federal government is saving on the backs of the weakest in society has come under criticism from the party responsible for Federal Councilor Alain Berset (51). SP co-chair Mattea Meyer (35) calls on Twitter to reverse this decision immediately. “UBS can send its 9 billion CS bill to the federal government. While the parents of seriously ill children are left in the lurch with their bills,” she complains. SP alderman Gabriela Suter (50) also asks for clarification.

The difference needs to be brushed off

The reason for the deterioration of disabled children is a change by the Berset department. It has made a change to the so-called list of sources and items, as reported by the “NZZ am Sonntag”. And now parents sometimes have to pay the difference between the list prices of devices and the higher market price themselves.

The Federal Public Health Service of the Berset Department of the Interior has significantly reduced maximum reimbursement contributions in some cases. In this way it wants to save about 40 million francs a year – at the expense of disabled children. “This leads to existential concerns for the affected families, because the treatment devices and associated consumables are essential, but the costs are not affordable for the families,” Christian Lohr, 61, middle national councilor, told Blick.

GLP State Councilor Beat Flach (58) is also indignant about the procedure: “Unloading even more burdens on the victims through the back door” is not possible, he says.

Parliament’s decision ignored

Particularly worrying: in 2019, Parliament debated the future of the IV. It then explicitly spoke out against limiting benefits for children and young people with congenital defects using such lists. Yet the responsible federal agency did just that – with an ordinance that escaped the scrutiny of parliament.

Lohr has now made a request to the state government to explain its actions: “It is absurd that you have to ask the Bundesrat to comply with the directives of the parliament.”

Were products too expensive?

The federal government rejects the allegations in the “NZZ am Sonntag” and states that the effect of an existing list has only been expanded. The companies involved were now “no longer able to charge prices”. Affected parents could switch to another provider in individual cases, it is said.

Source:Blick