Switzerland

On December 20, 2021, the tariff partners of the novel TARDOC reimbursement system for outpatient care (association of health insurers curafutura and association of physicians, FMH) re-submitted the substantially revised version 1.3 of TARDOC to the Federal Council. The tariff partners hope that the Federal Council will assess the new reimbursement system in the first quarter of 2022 and that it could be implemented from January 2023.

In 2015, the Federal Office for Public Health launched an HTA program intending to reassess the benefits already reimbursed by compulsory health insurance. The following ongoing re-evaluations are in progress: multigene expression tests in breast cancer, cardiac catheterization for coronary artery disease, invasive procedures for coronary artery disease, removal of osteosynthesis materials, etc.

On July 30, 2021, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) published the 2022 version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature in the German language. The newly introduced codes concern various technology groups, such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurology, interventional radiology, orthopedics, gynecology, and others.

On June 30, 2021, the Swiss Federal Council announced that the TARDOC outpatient tariff structure, presented by the association of insurers curafutura and the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), cannot be approved at this point. The Federal Council found the TARDOC tariff structure to have many drawbacks. Curafutura released an announcement in which they state that they will continue working on the TARDOC tariff structure and will try to implement as many changes as possible, according to the FOPH recommendations. This means that the TARDOC tariff structure is not likely to be implemented before January 2023.

On July 1, 2021, the updated version of the Swiss Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre) came into force. The changes concern the List of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 of KLV/OPre), the List of medical aids (Annex 2 of KLV/OPre), and the List of Analyses (Annex 3 of KLV/OPre).

The online application form is announced to be activated on April 26, 2021. The applications can then be submitted from May 31, 2021, to July 11, 2021. The applications made in 2021 will be reflected in the 2023 version of the SwissDRG.

On December 22, 2020, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health announced the changes that will occur to the Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre). The changes concern the general part of the Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre), and all four of its Annexes, which define the coverage of services (List of explicitly evaluated services, List of Medical Aids and Equipment, List of Analyses, List of Medications with Tariff). The updates will enter into force on January 1, 2021. Updates concern among others bariatric surgery, Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation, ultrasound focused therapy for neurological indications.

On October 30, 2020, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) published the 2021 version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature in French and Italian. The version in the German language was published in July 2020. The most important changes regard cardiovascular and peripheral vascular interventions.

On September 7, 2020, the Swiss Medical Board has announced that the organization will discontinue its operations at the end of 2021.

In June 2020, santésuisse (the leading organization of Swiss health insurers) and the Swiss Society of Surgeons (FCMH) have submitted a proposal to the Federal Council for the acceptance of 67 lump-sum payment packages for out-patient services. In July 2020, eight more lump-sum payment packages were suggested to the Federal Council. More suggestions are expected in the near future.

On 22nd June 2020, the company in charge of the development of the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG SA, has announced the catalog version of SwissDRG 10.0/2021 (2018/2021). Seven days later, the planning version of SwissDRG (2019/2021) has been published as well.

On June 23, 2020, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced several changes in the coverage of benefits that will take place soon. They regard transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), adjustments in the List of Aids (EMAp/MiGeL) (including reimbursement for CPAP devices and mechanical ventilation at home, and adjustments in the List of Analyses (AL/EA).