The  healthcare  insurers protest to hospitals and to doctors of the refunds for approximately 100 million francs. The services suppliers have to restore to the payers of premiums the excesses paid since the implementation of TARMED, Santesuisse explained on Monday.

The doctors react with surprise and incomprehension

Healthcare Providers and insurers agreed on the neutrality of costs during the introduction of the new medical tariff system (Tarmed) on January 1st, 2004. "The envelope for the functioning of Tarmed was notably fixed according to the costs of the previous two years, with a certain price increase granted to the doctors.", clarified to the PAs Nicole Bulliard, spokeswoman of Santesuisse.

System needed to be adapted 

According to the calculations of the association ridge tile of Health insurers, 100 millions were too charged with regard to the neutrality of the costs. They must be henceforth paid off to the payers of premiums. More exactly, santesuisse be going to receive amounts taken too, to redistribute them to the insurers, who will put back them on the insurants, according to Nicole Bulliard. Declines of the value of the tariff point in 2006 will allow to adjust the system for the continuation.

The main part of the refund would result from doctors 

At the liberal practitioners, the excess amounts to approximately 60 million francs. The value of tariff point averages of 89 cents, which is effective since July 1st, 2005, should be reduced by 2,5 cents. Hospitals have to as for them restore 37 million Swiss francs. Consequently the value of tariff point averages of 89 centimes must be decreased in 1,5 centime. The insurers-diseases hold at present negotiations with the suppliers of services to define how these excesses will be handled and in how much will rise the value of the point from 2006. First successes were registered in the domains of ambulatory medical servicesof the public hospitals in the cantons of Lucerne, Schwyz, Uri, Obwald and Nidwald.

Cantons also

The canton of Lucerne, for example, will pay off 11,5 million francs to the insurers at the end of the year and will lower at the same time the value of the point from 89 to 84 centimes. Altogether, santesuisse think of reaching an agreement with most of the hospitals. It looks more delicate in the other cantons as Basel-Stad, Basel-Land and Schaffhouse. The insurers will credibly start procedures of price list fixation in several cantons. In case of necessity, santesuisse will subject them before in the middle of January 2006 to the cantonal governments. The Health insurers also expect to have to start several procedures of fixation( in the field of liberal medical practice.