What is Physioswiss's main request in Ticino?

The association calls on the cantonal authorities to introduce fairer tariffs for physiotherapy services, with the specific objective of increasing tariff point values by at least 30%. This measure is considered necessary to adequately cover the operating costs of practices and ensure fair salaries for professionals, preventing the care network from becoming less extensive in urban centers and rural or peripheral areas.

What is the difference between the tariff structure and point values?

According to Physioswiss, the new negotiated tariff structure serves to represent services in a more differentiated manner, but does not itself determine an increase in remuneration. Instead, the tariff point values, established within the framework of cantonal procedures, determine the actual increases. For this reason, the petition focuses on point values to ensure that the tariffs really cover the costs of the services.

How did the mobilization unfold, and to whom was it handed over?

The mobilization was national in scope, involving all 26 cantons with a total of 127'000 signatures, of which 4'000 were collected in Ticino. The petition, entitled “For guaranteed physiotherapy close to home in the Canton of Ticino,” was submitted on 15 October in Bellinzona to Fabio Lonni, head of the political rights service at the State Chancellery, in the hope that the Department of Health would commit to equitable funding.

Physioswiss calls for a 30% increase in physiotherapy tariffs

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 15 October 2026

State Chancellery in Bellinzona, site of the Physioswiss petition delivery

Physioswiss submits 4'000 signatures in Ticino Request: at least 30% more for point values The mobilization involves all 26 cantons Submission

Context

TL;DR

Physioswiss hands over 4'000 signatures in Ticino
Request: at least 30% more on point values
The mobilization involves all 26 cantons
Handover in Bellinzona on October 15

Key facts

Increase requested → at least 30% of tariff point values
Petition entitled → «For guaranteed physiotherapy close to home in the Canton of Ticino»
Date and place of submission → October 15, Bellinzona
Recipient → Fabio Lonni, head of political rights at the State Chancellery
Signatures collected → 127'000 in Switzerland, of which 4'000 in Ticino

The request is addressed to the cantonal authorities: fairer tariffs for physiotherapy services, so as to ensure accessible care close to home in the future as well. At the center is the increase of at least 30% in tariff point values.

The reference to geographic proximity accompanies the economic one: physiotherapy should remain guaranteed and close to home, while appropriate conditions for practices should enable fair salaries for professionals. Physioswiss presents these objectives as linked to the viability of the cantonal network. The problem is therefore described both from the perspective of practices and that of patients.

The mobilization and the issue raised

Physioswiss maintains that the current remuneration does not make it possible to adequately cover practices' operating costs and ensure fair salaries for professionals. For the association, inadequate economic conditions would make it more difficult to maintain a widespread care network in urban centers, peripheral regions and rural areas.

The Ticino collection is part of a national mobilization that involved all 26 Cantons. The balance indicated by the mobilization is 127'000 signatures overall in Switzerland, with 4'000 collected in Ticino.

By submitting the signatures, Physioswiss urges the Department of Health to intervene within the limits of its powers, so that tariffs guarantee adequate coverage of the costs of services.

«The support received highlights the importance, for the population of the Canton, of being able to access easily accessible physiotherapy. We hope that the Department of Health will take this signal seriously and work to ensure fair and sustainable funding for physiotherapy».

The association will monitor the development of cantonal tariff procedures and continue to support the sector's demands in discussions with the authorities. Physioswiss also emphasizes the contribution of physiotherapy to healthcare: the services can help avoid surgical interventions, shorten rehabilitation and safeguard patients' autonomy.

Operational details

The decisive point: point values

The debate does not stop at the new tariff system. Physioswiss has presented a system resulting from negotiations, which differentiates physiotherapy services in a more nuanced way. According to the association, however, this innovation alone is not sufficient to improve professionals' remuneration.

Structure and values are not the same thing

The distinction indicated by Physioswiss is practical:

Table 1: Element
Element	Function described by the association
New tariff structure	Represents physiotherapy services in a more differentiated manner
Tariff point values	Determine the actual increases and are established in cantonal procedures

For those observing Ticino's health policy, the decisive step is therefore the cantonal procedure. The petition does not merely call for a change in how services are represented: it calls for point values sufficient to cover the costs of the services. The 30% is the minimum threshold requested by Physioswiss in the petition.

If economic conditions made it possible to cover the costs of practices and ensure fair salaries, the stated aim would be to support a widespread network, in urban centers as well as in peripheral and rural regions. If conditions instead remained inadequate, according to the association it could become more difficult to maintain that presence close to patients' homes.

The distinction also helps in interpreting any future updates. A reference to the new tariff structure does not, on its own, clarify whether remuneration has improved. To understand whether the request produces a result, it is necessary to look at the point values established as part of the cantonal procedures and their ability to cover the costs of the services. It is on this step that Physioswiss focuses its discussions with the Department of Health.

Physiotherapy is also considered a component of healthcare whose effects go beyond the individual service: it can help avoid surgical procedures, shorten rehabilitation and safeguard patients' autonomy. For the association, the issue of tariffs therefore involves both the sustainability of practices and the continuity of the care network.

Key points

Following developments without confusing the steps

To read the next updates in a practical way, it is useful to separate the tariff structure, point values and the role of the Department of Health. These are the three elements that Physioswiss's request links to remuneration and the resilience of the care network.

The checklist to follow

1. Identify the subject of the update. Check whether the text concerns the newly negotiated tariff structure or the point values. The former represents services in a more differentiated way; the latter determine the actual increases.

2. Look for the reference to the cantonal procedure. According to Physioswiss, point values are established within the framework of cantonal procedures. This is the step to watch in order to understand how the financial request is progressing.

3. Check the cost criterion. The parameter indicated by the association is the ability of tariffs to cover the costs of services. Its complaint also includes the operating costs of practices and the possibility of ensuring fair wages for professionals.

4. Observe the commitment of the Department of Health. The petition asks it to take action, within the scope of its powers, to set appropriate tariffs. Its role is therefore one of the institutional steps to follow after submission.

5. Assess the effect on the network. Developments should also be considered in terms of the possibility of preserving care close to home in urban centers, peripheral regions and rural areas.

Physioswiss will follow developments in the cantonal tariff procedures and will continue to support the sector's demands in discussions with the authorities. For the reader, the practical takeaway is to focus on point values and their evolution, without confusing a new structure with an actual increase in remuneration.

The reason why the issue also concerns patients is indicated by the association itself: physiotherapy can help avoid surgical procedures, shorten rehabilitation and preserve autonomy. Economic sustainability is therefore linked to the possibility of maintaining a widespread care network.

For more information on healthcare, consult cassa malati.

Source: tio.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Physioswiss's main request in Ticino?: The association calls on the cantonal authorities to introduce fairer tariffs for physiotherapy services, with the specific objective of increasing tariff point values by at least 30%. This measure is considered necessary to adequately cover the operating costs of practices and ensure fair salaries for professionals, preventing the care network from becoming less extensive in urban centers and rural or peripheral areas.
What is the difference between the tariff structure and point values?: According to Physioswiss, the new negotiated tariff structure serves to represent services in a more differentiated manner, but does not itself determine an increase in remuneration. Instead, the tariff point values, established within the framework of cantonal procedures, determine the actual increases. For this reason, the petition focuses on point values to ensure that the tariffs really cover the costs of the services.
How did the mobilization unfold, and to whom was it handed over?: The mobilization was national in scope, involving all 26 cantons with a total of 127'000 signatures, of which 4'000 were collected in Ticino. The petition, entitled “For guaranteed physiotherapy close to home in the Canton of Ticino,” was submitted on 15 October in Bellinzona to Fabio Lonni, head of the political rights service at the State Chancellery, in the hope that the Department of Health would commit to equitable funding.