In its roadmaps on the sustainable development of the healthcare system (2019) and the sustainability of healthcare services within planetary boundaries (2022), the SAMS called for reforms and proposed the drafting of a Federal Health Act. To this end, it commissioned Unisanté Lausanne, which published a scientific report in February 2024 on the state of health system governance and the relevance of a Federal Health Act. The SAMS has published a statement on the report supporting such an Act.
In its statement published in May 2024, the SAMS places the holistic «One Health» approach, at the interface between humans, animals and the environment, at the heart of its considerations. To achieve this, it is necessary to address «Health in all Policies», which cannot be achieved without appropriate political structures. As a prerequisite for a Federal Health Act, the SAMS proposes the inclusion of an article on health in the Constitution.
Statement of the SAMS: For a Federal Health Act (23.05.2024) in German or in French
Media release (23.05.2024) in German, in French or in Italian
The report entitled «Analyse de la gouvernance du système de santé suisse et proposition d'une loi fédérale sur la santé» published by Unisanté highlights the fact that the Swiss healthcare system is currently managed at federal level, primarily through the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG/LAMal). Yet a healthcare policy should go far beyond this. The Unisanté report highlights a healthcare system that, while performing well, is ill-adapted to future challenges, with a fragmented vision of health, complex governance and tangled responsibilities.
Debate at Careum
On January 9, 2025, the SAMS accepted the Careum Foundation's invitation to debate the pros and cons of such an Act. The event, which took place in Zurich, brought together representatives from various healthcare stakeholders – politics, business, education, care, patients– to discuss the need for a paradigm shift and to explore possible approaches. Find out more about the arguments put forward by the audience in the report. More information on the event and further documents can be found on the Careum website.
Institutions in favor of a Federal Health Act
Listen to: the SAMS on the Federal Health Act
In the «Morgen:Rapport» podcast on 20 August 2024, Daniel Scheidegger, former President of the SAMS, talks about the idea of anchoring health in a constitutional article and drafting a Federal Health Act on this basis. Visit the «Morgen:Rapport» to listen to the podcast in German.
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