Abstract
From an international perspective, Swiss health policy is of interest for several reasons. First, it respects consumer preferences to a degree that is otherwise only found in the United States. Second, it is decentralised in that important authorities continue to be vested with the Cantons rather than the federal state. Third, since the passing of the federal social insurance law of 1994 it comes close to what is commonly called ‘regulated competition’ to an extent that likely exceeds that of the often mentioned Dutch health care reform (Van de Ven, 1990).
The author wishes to thank Jean-Christian Lambelet for calling his attention to the facts shown in Table 7.1.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abel-Smith, B. and E. Mossialos (1994), ‘Cost Containment and Health Care Reform. A Study of the European Union,’ Health Policy, 28, 89–232.
Bernardi-Schenkluhn, B. (1992), ‘Schweiz,’ in J. Alber and B. Bernardi-Schenkluhn (eds), Westeuropäische Gesundheitssysteme im Vergleich, 177–322, (Frankfurt: Campus).
Crivelli, L. (1993), ‘Das Schweizer Gesundheitswesen,’ Wirtschaftspolitische Blätter, 40(6), 637–49.
Domenighetti, G. (1994), ‘From Ethics of Ignorance to Consumers Empowerment,’ Médecine Sociale et Préventive, 39, 123–5 (editorial).
Domenighetti, G., F. Gutzwiller, S. Martinoli and A. Casablanca (1993), ‘Revisiting the Physician-Patient as an Informed Consumer of Surgical Services,’ International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 9(2), 505–13.
Evans, W.N. and W.K. Viscusi (1993), ‘Income Effects and the Value of Health,’ Journal of Human Resources, 28(3), 497–518.
Frey, B.S. and G. Kirchgässner (1994), Demokratische Wirtschaftspolitik — Theorie und Anwendung (Munich: Vahlen).
Fuchs, V.R. (1986), The Health Economy (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press).
Gäfgen, G. (1990), ‘Betriebsverfassung, Entgeltsystem und Allokationsverhalten des Krankenhauses,’ Gesundheitsökonomie. Grundlagen und Anwendungen (Baden-Baden: Nomos), 169–230.
Gilliand, P. (1986), Les défis de la santé. Les coûts et l’assurance — les professionnels — pratiques et innovations (Lausanne: Réalités sociales).
Hoffmeyer, U. (1994), Gesundheitsreform in der Schweiz. Auszug aus einem internationalen Vergleich (Zurich: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung).
Jones-Lee, M.W., M. Hammerton and P.R. Phillips (1987), ‘The Value of Safety: Results of a National Sample Survey,’ Economic Journal, 95, 49–72.
Kirchgässner, G. (1991), Homo oeconomic us: Das ökonomische Modell individuellen Verhaltens und seine Anwendung in den Wirtschafts-und Sozialwissenschaften (Tübingen: Mohr (Siebeck)).
Kleiber, C. (1992), Question de soins. Essai sur l’incitation économique à la performance dans les services de soins (Lausanne: Payot).
McPherson, K., J.E. Wennberg, O.B. Howind et al. (1982), ‘Small-Area Variations in the Use of Common Surgical Procedures: an International Comparison of New England, England, and Norway,’ New England Journal of Medicine, 307, 1310–14.
Newhouse, J.P. (1971), ‘Toward a Theory of Nonprofit Institutions: An Economic Model of a Hospital,’ American Economic Rewiew, 60(1), 64–74.
Newhouse, J.P. (1992), ‘Medical Care Costs: How Much Welfare Loss?,’ Journal of Economic Perspectives, 6(3), 3–21.
Pharma Information (various issues), Das Gesundheitswesen in der Schweiz. Leistungen, Kosten, Preise, Basle.
Sandier, S. (1990), ‘Health Services Utilization and Physician Income Trends,’ in OECD, (ed.), Health Care Systems in Transition (Paris: OECD).
Schneider, F. (1989), ‘Der Einfluss von Interessengruppen auf gesundheitspolitische Entscheidungen: Einige theoretische Überlegungen mit Hilfe der ökonomischen Theorie der Politik,’ in P. Oberender, (ed.), Umbruch und Neuorientierung im Gesundheitswesen (Bayreuth: PCO Verlag), 169–81.
Schulenburg, Von der, J.-M., and P.R. Kleindorfer (1986), ‘Wie stabil ist der Generationenvertrag in der Gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung?,’ in G. Gäfgen (ed.), Ökonomie des Gesundheitswesens (Berlin: Duncker & Humbolt), 413–34.
Smith, R. (1992), ‘The Ethics of Ignorance,’ Journal of Medical Ethics, 18, 117–18, 134.
Theurl, E. (1996), Staat und Gesundheitswesen — Analyse historischer Fallbeispiele aus der Sicht der Neuen Institutionellen Ökonomik, (Vienna: Böhlau-Verlag).
Tinturier, G. (1986), ‘Financement et maîtrise des coûts de l’hospitalisation,’ in P. Gilliand (ed.), Les coûts de l’assurance (Lausanne: Réalités sociales), 127–42.
Van de Ven, W.P.M.M. (1990), ‘From Regulated Cartel to Regulated Competition in the Dutch Health Care System,’ European Economic Review, 34, 632–45.
Whitehead, M. (1993), ‘Is it Fair? Evaluating the Equity Implications of the NHS Reforms,’ in R. Robinson and J. LeGrand (eds), Evaluating the NHS Reforms (New Brunswick: King’s Fund Institute, Transaction Books), 208–42.
Wolfe, B.L. and M. Gabay (1987), ‘Health Status and Medical Expenditures: More Evidence of a Link,’ Social Science and Medicine, 25(8), 883–8.
Zeckhauser, R. (1970), ‘Medical Insurance: A Case Study of the Tradeoff Between Risk Spreading and Appropriate Incentives,’ Journal of Economic Theory, 2(1), 10–26.
Zweifel, P. (1978), ‘Eine zusätzliche Million für das schweizerische Gesundheitswesen — Was wäre sie wert?,’ Schweiz. Zeitschrift für Volkswirtschaft und Statistik, 114, 449–74.
Zweifel, P. and F. Breyer (1997), Health Economics (New York: Oxford University Press).
Zweifel, P. and R.E. Eichenberger (1992), ‘The Political Economy of Corporatism in Medicine: Self-Regulation or Cartel Management?,’ Journal of Regulatory Economics, 4, 89–108.
Editor information
Copyright information
© 1997 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zweifel, P., Lambelet, JC., Zeltner, T. (1997). Swiss Health Policy. In: Bacchetta, P., Wasserfallen, W. (eds) Economic Policy in Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25875-8_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25875-8_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-25877-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-25875-8
eBook Packages: Palgrave Economics & Finance CollectionEconomics and Finance (R0)