(Bloomberg) -- A Swiss plebiscite to reform the health-care system hangs in the balance as final polls show supporters and opponents essentially tied ahead of the Nov. 24 vote.
The reform centers on the question of whether inpatient and outpatient treatment should be funded the same way. So far, only hospitalizations receive support from Swiss cantons, the country’s states. In the expensive Swiss system, analysts expect a bigger incentive for patients to choose treatments at doctors’ offices if the reform passes.
On Wednesday, a poll for newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten showed 46% of voters leaning toward ‘yes,’ 44% toward ‘no.’ A concurrently published survey for public broadcaster SRG SSR saw a more decisive 54%-37% split, but noted that opposition was gaining traction.
Also on the ballot are three other proposals — one on extending highways at congestion hotspots which regularly trigger drivers to divert on surrounding roads, and two on changing certain rules in rental law. All those could go either way, according to the polls.
Switzerland’s plebiscites — which occur as much as four times a year and center on various issues from taxes to human rights for apes — can easily yield surprises. In March, citizens unexpectedly voted for a 13th annual pension payment, which saw the government proposing to raise the sales tax for funding.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.