Commission makes compromise proposal for premium waiver

The cantons should be given minimum requirements for the premium discount. This is the advice of the competent committee of the Council of States. In the indirect counter-proposal to the waiver initiative, she proposes a compromise, but does not want to go as far as the National Council and the Federal Council.

In December, the Council of States did not agree with this proposal. In the spring, the National Council reaffirmed its intention to spend more than two billion francs on additional premium cuts, more than the Federal Council wants. The Social and Health Committee of the Council of States (SGK-S) now wants to bridge the gap.

The SKG-S approved the indirect counter-proposal to the SP’s premium aid initiative by 10 to 2, the parliamentary services announced on Tuesday. Given the premium growth of 6.6 percent for 2023 and the threat of further premiums, action is called for.

The majority wants minimum requirements for the cantons for contributions to the premium reduction, but lower than the Bundesrat and the National Council. The cantonal contributions must follow the development of the premiums. The minority, on the other hand, do not want to limit the autonomy of the cantons and want to remain with non-compliance.

In the further consultation, the SGK-S decided by 8 against 4 votes that the cantons must now spend at least 3.5 to 7.5 percent of the cantonal costs of the compulsory basic insurance on the premium discount. The Bundesrat wants to set the threshold at 5 to 7.5 percent.

This minimum amount always depends on how much the premiums weigh on the budget of the 40 percent lowest income insured in the canton. With the variant of the SGK-S, the cantons would incur additional costs of about CHF 356 million. With the Federal Council’s proposal, the additional costs would amount to CHF 493 million.

In addition to the minimum amount, each canton would have to determine how high the premiums may be as a percentage of someone’s disposable income. The Council of States wants to follow the National Council on this point. However, with 8 against 4 votes, she proposes to abolish the regulation on the level of premiums or income.

In the summer session, the Council of States will again discuss the indirect counter-proposal to the waiver initiative. If he rejects it again, he is off the table and the initiative must go to the ballot box without a counterproposal.

The SP premium deduction requires policyholders to spend a maximum of ten percent of their disposable income on health care premiums. If this limit is exceeded, the federal government and the cantons should help with premium discounts – the federal government for at least two-thirds.

In February, the National Council stuck to the indirect counter-proposal to the SP initiative. He wants to spend more than two billion francs from the federal government and the cantons for additional premium reductions, of which another 800 million francs will be borne by the cantons.

A centre-left majority in the Grand Chamber called for the concerns of the population to be taken seriously. The SVP, much of the FDP and some center members rejected the indirect counter-proposal in the National Council. (sda)