Health insurers must reimburse certain medicines purchased abroad

Swiss health insurers should reimburse certain medicines that policyholders have purchased abroad. The National Council demands that the law be amended accordingly. Medicines approved in Switzerland and prescribed by a doctor practicing in Switzerland must be reimbursed.

Health insurers must also reimburse medicines or aids if they are cheaper abroad than the same medicines or aids in Switzerland. These are the two demands of a motion by Marcel Dobler (FDP/SG), which the National Council clearly approved on Thursday with 134 votes in favor, 24 votes in favor and 22 abstentions.

The proposal still has to be submitted to the Council of States. According to Dobler’s motion, it does not concern the shipment of medicines.

The petitioner argues that health insurance premiums are increasing year after year. It is important to take all possible measures to curb further increases in healthcare costs. A strong driver of these costs is high drug prices.

The Federal Council requested that the motion be accepted. In his response to the proposal in November, he wrote that he planned to adjust the legal basis next year in the spirit of the motion.

The motion was opposed in the council by Thomas de Courten (SVP/BL), who spoke of a “call for shopping tourism”. The territoriality principle that applies today to health insurance services strengthens patient safety. Implementing the motion would weaken Switzerland as a business location.

Currently, the costs of medicines purchased abroad are only reimbursed if the insured person needs them during a temporary stay abroad due to an illness that occurred there.

The price level of medicines is lower in other European countries than in Switzerland. The price differences for generic medicines are particularly striking: abroad they are about half the price. (sda/lyn)