25 août 2023 – Service providers have a duty to pass on discounts granted to them either indirectly or directly (particularly price discounts and rebates) to patients and insurers (Art. 56 para. 3 HIA). This duty to pass on discounts has been a provision of health insurance legislation since 1996. It was modified by the partial revision of the Therapeutic Products Act (TPIA) and the Health Insurance Act. Oversight of compliance with the passing on of discounts granted to the service provider by individuals or establishments which supply medicinal products or aids and devices used for examination or treatment (Art. 56 para. 3 letter b HIA) was assigned on 1 January 2020 to the FOPH (Art. 82a HIA). On 25 August 2023, the FOPH published two information letters with the same content. One letter was addressed to the associations of service providers and the other to the insurers. Some key practice issues are not addressed in these letters. They seem to be more for general awareness raising.

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