The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced that the inaugural «Round Table» on health cost containment, led by Federal Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, has successfully convened. This new forum, which will meet biannually, assembles key stakeholders from the healthcare sector – including representatives of cantons, medical professionals, health insurers, hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, and patient organizations – to jointly develop measures to reduce health care costs. The participants agreed on an annual savings target of approximately CHF 300 million starting in 2026, equivalent to around 1 % of health insurance premiums.

The first meeting focused on strengthening primary care, advancing digitalization within the healthcare system, and implementing specific measures to reduce costs. The FOPH is pursuing a dual approach, including legislative reforms as well as immediately implementable measures that do not require legislative changes. In addition, the «Round Table» aims to increase stakeholder engagement in ongoing reform processes, in order to address past concerns about limited stakeholder participation.

Between the biannual meetings, an expert group comprised of participants will work on detailed measures to achieve the targeted savings. From spring of 2025, the public will also be invited to contribute ideas via an electronic submission portal.

For more information, see here.