Consumer-driven health insurance in Switzerland, where politics is governed by federalism and direct democracy

Preferences for innovations in healthcare delivery models in the Swiss elderly population: a latent class, choice modelling study

“…Our study makes an important contribution to the literature exploring preferences among Swiss population groups towards potential healthcare system changes to strengthen policy decisions. Although earlier studies and the history of the Swiss votes in healthcare showed strong attachment of the Swiss population to status quo, 2 , 3 , 18–20 we were able to demonstrate that not all individuals are reluctant to changes. Current study’s novelty is in demonstrating the preferences, shares and characteristics of population subgroups most open to healthcare reforms, accepting only specific reforms and those who are unwilling to accept changes.…”

“…models of coordinated care). 3 , 5–7 With such models, care is provided by multiple healthcare professionals, requiring good communication and information exchange (e.g. access to patient history, care plan, etc.…”

“…6 However, implementing countrywide innovations may be challenging due to the complex, decentralized and fragmented organization and financing of the Swiss healthcare system. 2 , 3 , 10 The complexity lies in the governance structure, whereby general healthcare regulations are imposed at the national level, but many more specific decisions are taken at the cantonal level (26 cantons). In addition, health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland but there is high private actor involvement in financing, as the plans are sold by many private companies (>50) in a strongly regulated market.…”

“…Therefore, an efficient communication strategy with clear explanations for the population is needed, as most voters may not understand proposals on complex subjects such as healthcare. In Switzerland, where development of innovative health policy implementations has been under heated debates for a long time, 3 , 11 it is critical to identify the population groups that would be willing to accept changes, and to tailor the communication strategies accordingly.…”