OECD Reviews of Health Systems – Switzerland
This report reviews Switzerland’s health system. It provides an update to the information and analysis presented in the Review of the Swiss Health System published by the OECD and the WHO in 2006, with a particular focus on three issues: health workforce, health insurance markets and governance of the Swiss health system.
The first chapter provides a description of the political, demographic and economic context for the Swiss health system. Chapter two analyses trends in health insurance markets in terms of equity in health care financing and the nature and intensity of competition between insurers. There is a particular focus on the risk-equalisation mechanism, managed care plans and the current insurance reform agenda. Chapter three examines the recent trends in Switzerland’s health workforce, including training and the role of international migration, and discusses some challenges for the future. Chapter four analyses and assesses recent developments in several domains: hospital financing, prevention, quality of care and pharmaceutical policies. Chapter five describes governance in the Swiss health system and the process of reform.