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348 Economic crisis, health systems and health in Europe: country experience
Changes to health service planning, purchasing and delivery
Prices of medical goods
• Reduction of drug prices by 20% (2012).
Salaries and motivation of health sector workers
• No response reported.
Payment to providers
• Funds to subsidize VAT for health care institutions no longer included in
federal and cantonal budgets and health care institutions no longer have the
right to VAT refunds (since 2009).
• Health insurance funds introduced additional contractual measures to
manage, reduce and control costs of health care providers (targeting
capital investments and overhead costs such as water, electricity and
pharmaceuticals and devices) and quality (minimum required amount
of stock).
Overhead costs: restructuring the Ministry of Health and purchasing agencies
• No response reported.
Provider infrastructure and capital investment
• The share of capital investment decreased from 9% to 5.1% of public
health expenditure between 2008 and 2010.
Priority setting or protocols to change access to treatments, coordination
of care and patterns of use
• No response reported.
Waiting times
• No response reported.
Health promotion and prevention
• Media campaigns and health promotion and prevention activities used to
promote healthy lifestyles (2008 and 2009).