The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has announced the optimization of supply rates used to determine the maximum number of physicians allowed, developed in collaboration with various stakeholders. The Federal Department of Home Affairs (Eidgenössisches Departement des Innern, EDI) has revised the Ordinance on the Establishment of Regional Supply Rates for Each Medical Specialty in the Outpatient Sector (Verordnung über die Festlegung der regionalen Versorgungsgrade je medizinisches Fachgebiet im ambulanten Bereich), effective as of 1 July 2025.

Since 1 July 2021, the cantons have been authorized to implement a mechanism to restrict the admission of physicians practicing under compulsory health insurance (obligatorische Krankenpflegeversicherung, OKP). By setting maximum limits, the cantons can address overprovisioning in the outpatient sector and curb the escalation of healthcare costs.

The cantons have the authority to decide which medical specialties or regions they wish to regulate with regard to the number of physicians. These limits are based on the actual supply of physicians and the supply rates published by the EDI, reflecting the demand for medical services by specialty and region. Furthermore, the cantons have the flexibility to make adjustments to accommodate specialty-specific or regional characteristics.

For more information, see here.