Six new measures to contain costs in the healthcare sector

Context

TL;DR

• Six new measures will take effect in 2027
• The fifth round table met in Bern on October 26, 2026
• The package concerns outpatient clinics, emergency rooms and home care
• The electronic inbox collected approximately 7400 contributions

Key facts

On October 26, 2026, in Bern, the fifth round table on containing costs in the healthcare sector decided to implement six new measures. The body had been established by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider in November 2024.

The decision taken in Bern

The round table meets twice a year and brings together representatives of the cantons, referred to in the press release as the CDS, physicians represented by the FMH, hospitals represented by H+, health insurers united in prio.swiss and the pharmaceutical industry represented by scienceindustries. Patient organizations, the scientific community and the Price Supervisor also participate.

The six measures decided concern different areas of healthcare. The first line of action aims to promote the transfer of services to the outpatient sector. The second aims to relieve pressure on emergency departments. The development of care programs for people with chronic illnesses is also planned.

The other measures concern the remuneration of medical devices, with the aim of increasing transparency, and the coordination of medicine supplies for retirement and nursing homes. The sixth measure concerns the promotion of home care.

The partners decided to implement the new package starting in 2027. The decision follows an initial series of 12 targeted measures adopted in 2025. Some of the new measures draw on proposals submitted by the public through an email inbox.

The press release presents the initiative as an intervention in several key areas of the healthcare sector. For the first time, the round table’s work also draws on suggestions collected through an online form open to proposals for reducing the costs of mandatory health insurance. The decision remains with the round-table partners, who reviewed the suggestions received and selected those considered relevant and practically feasible.

Operational details

From the targeted package to systemic measures

The comparison between the two rounds of measures shows a difference stated in the communiqué: the 2025 package comprised 12 targeted measures, whereas the six decisions to be implemented from 2027 are defined as being more systemic in nature.

This distinction has a direct consequence for how the savings are presented. For the new measures, no specific savings potential was quantified, precisely because the interventions are more systemic in scope. However, the communiqué adds a precise condition: if the measures achieve the expected results, the savings potential should be greater than that of the first catalogue.

This is a conditional assessment, not a forecast with a figure. The source does not indicate an overall amount, nor does it translate the six measures into a specific reduction in premiums or individual bills. For those who regard healthcare expenditure as a component of the cost of living, the economic impact therefore remains to be measured.

The electronic mailbox concerned the costs of compulsory health insurance for medical care, referred to in the communiqué by the acronym AOMS. In the Swiss context, compulsory health insurance for residents is governed by LAMal/KVG. However, the text of the decision does not quantify the effect of the new measures on the expenditure of individual insured persons.

Collaboration as an operational mechanism

The common feature of the six decisions is closer collaboration among the stakeholders. In the measure concerning home care, specialist medical societies should draw up a list of therapies that can preferably be carried out at home. Based on this list, insurers will be able to actively inform patients about the available options.

In homes for the elderly and nursing homes, the agreement instead concerns coordination among doctors, pharmacists and nursing staff. According to the communiqué, the aim is to improve the quality of care and reduce polypharmacy.

A third example concerns medical devices: service providers and insurers have agreed that, from now on, invoices must contain more detailed information about the devices actually used. Greater price transparency should also improve the application of economically appropriate prices. In all these cases, the measure described is not a new amount charged to the patient, but an agreement on information, coordination and the way care is provided.

Key points

Implementation and new direction

The round table also examined the progress of the package decided on in 2025. The assessment communicated to participants is generally positive, but not uniform: overall, most measures can be implemented as planned or with limited delays.

The outstanding issue concerning digital invoices

The only measure regarding which new differences of opinion emerged concerns the promotion of digital invoices. The differences could not be resolved during implementation. Consequently, the projected savings from this measure cannot be achieved in the short or medium term.

The statement also urges caution regarding the overall figures. For all measures decided, the resulting actual savings cannot yet be estimated precisely, because data for 2026 are not yet available for most measures. The source therefore distinguishes between the expected potential of the new measures and the savings that can actually be measured.

The round table will also change its work schedule. The members agreed to continue their collaboration, focusing more closely on systemic measures. The group of experts will have to prepare a work programme that will no longer aim to adopt a new catalogue of measures every year.

The body will also be called upon to perform an advisory function regarding any cost-containment projects launched by the Federal Council. Its tasks will also include monitoring the implementation of measures already decided. The statement thus describes a shift from an annual sequence of catalogues to coordination and monitoring activities.

The contribution of the electronic mailbox

The electronic mailbox was a trilingual online form that allowed anyone interested to submit anonymous proposals from May 15 to June 20, 2025. According to the report published by MIS Trend, the initiative received approximately 7400 contributions. These contributions gave rise to more than 15 000 proposals, just over 500 of which were identified by MIS Trend as potentially effective and innovative.

The ideas were forwarded to the group of experts for review. Following internal discussions, those considered relevant and practically feasible contributed to the development of various measures adopted on October 26, 2026. The proposals concerned, among other topics, outpatient care, transparency regarding medical devices, coordination of the supply of medicines to nursing and care homes, and easing congestion in emergency departments.

All proposals submitted via the mailbox will be published anonymously on the website of the Federal Office of Public Health. For an overview of compulsory health insurance in Switzerland: LAMal/KVG e cassa malati.

Source: admin.ch