Outpatient packages are ready to be entered

The hospital association H+ and the health insurance fund association Santésuisse have completed discussions on the new collective labor agreement for flat-rate outpatient clinics. With outpatient fixed rates, standardized interventions, examinations and treatments should be easily recorded and compensated.

This is an important milestone for the Swiss healthcare system, H+ and Santésuisse announced on Monday. In the future, the rates will cover approximately half of the volume in the ambulatory hospital sector and can be continuously expanded.

The benefit to all involved is that, thanks to flat-rate payments, the same services will always be rated the same in the future, it said. “This rewards the efficient service.”

According to the announcement, the flat rates also eliminate false incentives that current individual service rates bring. When using outpatient lump sum rates, it is no longer necessary to record each individual performance. On the contrary, all services such as treatments, material and medication are shown in a flat rate and are reimbursed accordingly.

According to H+ and Santésuisse, the performance and cost data of nearly one million cases, made available by approximately 30 hospitals, were the basis for the development of the flat-rate outpatient clinics. “This means that the database for outpatient flat rate rates is more comprehensive than in any other outpatient rate system.”

Now, in combination with the Tardoc individual service rate, a coherent doctor rate can be set for the future, the associations continued. Tardoc is a new pricing system for ambulatory services, which cannot be generalized, however.

With the new outpatient flat rate rate system and the Tardoc, all the elements are in place “to collectively move into a coherent rate system” for the outpatient rate in accordance with Federal Council specifications, the statement says. (saw/sda)