Over 10,000 people demonstrate against new physio tariffs in Bern
Published: Friday, Nov 17th 2023, 16:30
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Several thousand people demonstrated early Friday afternoon on the Bundesplatz in Bern against a planned change in the tariffs for physiotherapy services. To underline their demands, they submitted a petition with around 283,000 signatures to the federal administration.
The demonstration was called by the Swiss Physiotherapy Association Physioswiss, which has around 11,000 members. Over 10,000 people took part in the rally, which lasted just under two hours, according to Florian Kurz, spokesperson for Physioswiss.
The organizers handed out purple and yellow scarves to the participants with the demand "Save money, yes, but not on our backs. No to tariff intervention" was printed on them.
The demonstrators made their displeasure known loudly. Many also had placards with them. Among other things, they read "Quality criteria yes, wage cuts no" or "It will be more expensive without us". The demonstration united physiotherapists from all parts of the country.
For the demonstration, the association set up a stage on the Bundesplatz, where politicians and association members gave speeches. The event was peaceful, as a reporter from the Keystone-SDA news agency noted at the scene.
"Physiotherapy on the brink"
According to Kurz, Physioswiss presented the petition entitled "Physiotherapy on the brink" to the federal administration as part of the rally. With this petition, the signatories are opposing the planned tariff change.
The Federal Council submitted an amendment to the ordinance for consultation in August; the deadline for submitting comments ended on Friday. The federal government wants the changes to come into force at the beginning of 2025.
According to the Federal Council, the current flat rates for the reimbursement of physiotherapy sessions by health insurance companies should be replaced by a graduated system that is based more on the duration of a physiotherapy session.
The physiotherapists see this as a tariff cut through the back door. It is merely about cutting costs and reducing the number of treatments. This threatens to leave a gap in care for everyone: "Even more of us physiotherapists will be forced to change profession or close their practice."
Specifically, Physioswiss is calling for a halt to the tariff intervention, new negotiations with health insurers and cost-covering tariffs for its services.
The tariffs for physiotherapy services under compulsory health insurance have remained basically unchanged since the late 1990s - despite inflation. Over the last three decades, several attempts at a comprehensive revision have failed because the tariff partners were unable to reach an agreement.
Demonstration approved by the city of Bern
The demonstration was approved by the city of Bern, as confirmed by the city on request. This was despite the fact that the city had announced last week that it would not be approving any large demonstrations or parades in Bern's city center from 17 November until Christmas.
"The application from Physioswiss was submitted months ago," Reto Nause (center), Bern's Director of Security, explained to the Keystone-SDA news agency on request. In addition, the security risk was low, which meant fewer police resources.
©Keystone/SDA
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