For nationwide telemedicine Santésuisse boss: placing hospitals at the end of the supply chain
Verena Nold, who will soon be stepping down as head of Santésuisse, has set out her vision for a future healthcare system. She would place hospitals at the end of the supply chain and introduce telemedicine across the board, she said in an interview.
08.12.2025, 05:06
08.12.2025, 05:33
SDA
In addition, there should be widely accessible pharmacies as well as family doctors and pediatricians, supplemented by a small number of specialists, Verena Nold continued in an interview with CH Media newspapers. "With a functioning outpatient care network, 80 percent of health problems could be solved," said the Santésuisse boss.
She would also abolish cantonal sovereignty for healthcare and introduce six larger care regions. A binding care formula would apply to each region, which would determine, for example, how many primary care providers or specialists per 1,000 inhabitants would be optimal.
"The hardest nut to crack was the new doctors' tariff"
According to Nold, the hospital sector also needs clear guidelines and consistent specialization, for example in orthopaedics, obstetrics or cardiology. She pointed out that corresponding approaches were already being discussed in parliament and that the federal government could introduce such healthcare regions if premiums were to rise significantly again.
Nold worked for the industry association of Swiss health insurers for 22 years, 13 of which she spent as head. The 63-year-old will step down on December 31. When asked about her greatest success, she said: "The hardest nut to crack was certainly developing the new doctors' tariff. It took 15 years, but now the outpatient flat rates and the Tardoc will come into force in 2026."
