Health insurance companies should pay for advice on living wills
Published: Monday, May 27th 2024, 19:20
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The National Council wants medical consultations in connection with a living will to be covered by health insurance in future. On Monday, the Grand Chamber adopted a corresponding parliamentary initiative by Marcel Dobler, a member of the St. Gallen FDP National Council.
The upper chamber approved the initiative by 103 votes to 80 with nine abstentions. It will now go to the Council of States. If the Council of States also approves the initiative, the responsible National Council committee can draft a bill. In the event of a no vote, the initiative is off the table.
The federal government itself recommends medical advice on advance directives, said Dobler, explaining his concern. It is therefore inconsistent if it is not uniformly included in the range of health insurance benefits.
The National Council's Health Committee recommended the initiative for approval by 13 votes to 7 with four abstentions. It argued that living wills would relieve the burden on relatives, doctors and nursing staff. It could also promote organ donation.
An SVP minority requested that the initiative be rejected. They feared rising costs and health insurance premiums. Moreover, doctors could already charge for such consultations today, provided the consultation was in connection with a specific illness. Apart from this situation, every person is responsible for their own living will.
©Keystone/SDA
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