5th round table on healthcare cost containment: six new measures adopted

The round table on cost containment brings together representatives of the cantons (GDK), the medical profession (FMH), hospitals (H+), health insurers (prio.swiss), the pharmaceutical industry (scienceindustries), patient organisations and the scientific community, as well as the Price Supervisor, twice a year. At the meeting on 26 October 2026, participants decided to implement six new cost-containment measures in several key areas: promoting the shift to outpatient care, easing pressure on hospital emergency departments, care programmes for people with chronic illnesses, greater transparency in reimbursement for medical devices, coordinated supply of medicines in residential and nursing homes, and promoting home therapies.

Meeting and overview

The round table on healthcare cost containment, established by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider in November 2024, met for the fifth time in Bern on 26 October 2026. The partners decided to implement six new cost-saving measures in various areas, drawing in part on proposals submitted through the electronic suggestion box. They were also informed of progress in implementing the measures adopted the previous year.

Measures of a more systemic nature

Following an initial set of twelve targeted measures adopted in 2025, participants in the round table agreed to implement the six measures mentioned above from 2027. Several of these take up ideas submitted by the public through the electronic suggestion box. Unlike the first measures paper, the measures now adopted are more systemic in nature. For this reason, their specific savings potential was not quantified. However, if the measures have the intended effect, their savings potential is expected to exceed that of the first measures paper.

Measures of a more systemic nature

At the heart of all the measures adopted is an agreement on closer cooperation between stakeholders. · For example, the measure to promote home therapies envisages medical specialist societies drawing up a list of therapies that can primarily be carried out at home. Insurers can then use this as a basis to actively inform patients about these home treatment options. · Another example is the agreement to promote coordination between doctors, pharmacists and nursing staff in residential and nursing homes, with the aim of improving the quality of care and reducing polypharmacy. · Regarding billing for medical devices, healthcare providers and insurers agree that invoices will in future include more detailed information about the medical devices actually used, in order to increase transparency about medical device prices and improve enforcement of economical prices.

2025 measures: implementation under way

Participants in the round table were informed of progress in implementing the 2025 package of measures. In principle, most measures can be implemented as planned or with slight delays. Only the measure to promote digital invoices has encountered new differences during implementation that could not be resolved by mutual agreement. The anticipated savings from this measure therefore cannot yet be realised in the short to medium term. Definitive statements about the actual savings from all the measures adopted are not yet possible, as data on savings achieved in 2026 are not yet available for most measures.

New direction for the round table’s work

The members of the round table agreed to continue their cooperation within this framework, while realigning their priorities and focusing even more strongly on systemic measures. The expert group will establish a work programme. This will no longer be geared towards adopting a new measures paper each year. The round table is also intended to serve as a consultative body for any cost-containment projects of the Federal Council and to ensure that implementation of the adopted measures is monitored.

Electronic suggestion box: ideas incorporated into the new measures

Between 15 May and 20 June 2025, anyone interested could anonymously submit proposals and ideas for reducing costs in compulsory health insurance through an electronic suggestion box with an online form in three languages. As the published report by MIS Trend shows, this opportunity was widely used. Around 7400 contributions were received. These yielded more than 15 000 proposals, of which just over 500 were classified by MIS Trend as potentially effective and novel.

Electronic suggestion box: ideas incorporated into the new measures

These proposals were submitted to the round table’s expert group for examination. Through an ongoing exchange, the group used the ideas considered useful and feasible in practice to develop several measures, which were adopted on 26 October 2026. Specifically, these concern promoting outpatient care, transparency in medical devices, coordinated supply of medicines in residential and nursing homes, and easing pressure on hospital emergency departments. All submissions to the electronic suggestion box are to be published in anonymised form on the FOPH website. The ideas in this collection of proposals will then be available to anyone interested and are also intended to inform further cost-containment measures in future, whether within the round table or in the development of measures by the Federal Council or the FDHA. Participants in the round table thank everyone whose submissions to the suggestion box made a valuable contribution to the discussion on how to keep the healthcare system financially sustainable.

Sources

Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) / Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH): 5. Runder Tisch Kostendämpfung im Gesundheitswesen: sechs neue Massnahmen verabschiedet. Available at: https://www.admin.ch/de/newnsb/6eQ-CBh2kKcn (accessed on 26.10.2026).