Swiss Doctors Effortlessly Repel EU Invasion

by Jeremy Hetherington-Gore

10 June 2002

After the seven EU/Swiss bilateral agreements came into force on 1st June, various parts of the Swiss community have been worrying that they might suddenly be faced with an influx of sharp-toothed competitors from less fortunate regions of Europe, descending on the lush valleys of Switzerland like Gothic Vandals to plunder and maraud the unprepared locals.

On the evidence of the medical sector, they can relax.

The Swiss Doctors' Federation said last week that Swiss doctors are worrying needlessly about competition from European counterparts hoping to treat wealthy Swiss patients under newly-liberalised labour relations with the EU.

So far, about 300 doctors from the European Union have asked that their qualifications be formally recognised in Switzerland; but Switzerland already has a high density of doctors - one to every 517 inhabitants - and the Federation's Christoph Haenggeli said that there are a series of hurdles before anyone can open a surgery.

"Unlike the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Swiss frontier won't collapse in a day," he said, reassuring his members, who fear that the country will be swamped by doctors from neighbouring countries, attracted by the prospect of earnings from surgeries that can reach 500,000 Swiss francs a year.

Perhaps slightly missing the point that the EU Single Market is supposed to improve the lot of citizens by reducing the extortionate grip of entrenched professionals through the creation of cheaper competition , Mr Haenggeli warned off potential competitors by telling them that Swiss medical insurance funds, part of a government-regulated private insurance system, are crippled by growing debts amid spiralling health costs in Switzerland.

"Every new doctor who opens a surgery adds to the burden of medical insurance funds, by 500,000 Swiss francs a year," Peter Marbet of Sante-Suisse said, joining Mr Haenggeli in a celebration of the status quo.

The Swiss medical profession says it wants to avoid the fate of its colleagues in Liechtenstein, which opened up its health care market, based on the same model as the Swiss system, to the EU several years ago. Between 1996 and 2001, the number of doctors in Liechtenstein shot up by 70 percent, plunging local medical insurance funds into financial trouble.

Well, here's a mystery, as the laws of supply and demand obviously cease to operate in the medical sector in Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Is there a shortage of medical care? No, there isn't. Is there a linkage between medical service delivered and pay received? Aha! Maybe not. So, a Swiss doctor can sit in his un-busy surgery and reap SFr 500,000 a year while watching the World Cup? Surely nothing so shocking.

At least the country won't be repelling Belgian dentists, it's for sure.

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