Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG

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History and Summary of Assignments

The Federal Health Insurance Act ( KVG) names insurers, reinsurers , insurer’s associations as well as two nationwide active organisations:

•	The Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG ( Common Institution under the Fed. Health Insurance Act) according to Art. 18 KVG
•	Institution for progress in the prevention of diseases according to Art. 19 KVG

What is the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG?

In the Swiss health insurance system there are huge numbers of insurers ( 86 in 2006), enormous differences in the size of insurance companies ( between 200 and 1 million people insured) as well as structural differences (nationally, regionally and locally active insurance companies). Certain problems cannot be solved by the insurers, reinsurers or their associations. Therefore, they all have to be involved.

To this end an institution was established by the insurers when the Federal Health Act became effective on 1st January 1996. This Institution is obliged to have the legal form of a foundation. The Insurers have two umbrella organisations:

•	Alliance of Swiss Health Insurers (presently called santésuisse) for health insurers according to Art. 11 Bst. A KVG

and

•	Swiss Union of private Illness and Accident Insurers (presently called Schweizerischer Versicherungsverband (SSV) for private health insurers according to Art. 11 Bst. A KVG)

These two organisations established the foundation called Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG (Common Institution under the Fed. Health Insurance Act)

Organs of the foundation are the supervising board (4 members elected by santésuisse, 1 member elected by the SVV), the administration and the auditing office.

The administration offices are located in Solothurn, Switzerland.

Assignment of tasks to the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG (Common Institution under the Fed. Health Insurance Act) by:

•	Parliament (see KVG legal regulations health insurance)
•	Federal Council (Delegation of competence by the Parliament see Art. 18 Abs. 3 KVG)
•	Insurer (Delegation of competence by the Parliament see Art. 18 Abs. 4 KVG)
•	Cantons (Delegation of competence by the Parliament see Art. 18 Abs. 2sexies KVG)

At the moment the Common institution is responsible for the following six assignments:

Assignment	assigned by	legal basis
International Coordination Health insurance	Parliament/Fed. Council/ Cantons	Art. 18 Abs. 3 KVG Art. 18 Abs. 2bis-sexies KVG Art. 19 KVV
Risk compensation	Parliament	Art. 105 Abs. 1 KVG
Redistribution of reserve assets	Parliament /Fed. Council	Art. 13 Abs. 5 KVG Art. 19a KVV
Reimbursement of additional revenue from the pharma industry	Federal Council	Art. 67 Abs. 2ter KVG
Acceptance of costs in place of Insurers incapable of payment	Parliament	Art. 18 Abs. 2 KVG
Collective benefits	BAG (Federal Office of Public Health)	Art. 56 Abs. 3bis Draft KVG

Administrative expenses are the responsibility of the insurers (contribution per person insured), as the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG (Common Institution under the Fed. Health Insurance Act) works in their interest. Excepted are those tasks regarding the international coordination of Health Insurance and tasks as liaison office, which have been assigned to the Common Institution instead of the Cantons by order of the Swiss Federation (Art. 18 Abs. 2bis-quinquies KVG). The Federal Government is responsible for these expenses. Further, the Cantons accept the costs for the assignments they are delegating according to Art. 18 Abs. 2sexies.

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