Homeopathy soon in Switzerland a cash benefit

Homeopathy should be in Switzerland cash benefit
Homeopathy and other complementary medical methods should become standard benefits of the Swiss health insurance, this has now been decided by the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA). Since 2012 compulsory health insurance has already paid for medical services in anthroposophic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy and phytotherapy - but only on the basis of a temporary scheme.

This came about because in a referendum the majority of the Swiss population had spoken out in favor of the complementary medicine. As of May 2017, medical homeopathy and other therapeutic methods will be treated in the same way as all other medical procedures in health insurance.

Homeopathy should be a cash benefit in Switzerland. Image: Gerhard Seybert - fotolia

In Germany, around two-thirds of the health insurance funds reimburse medical homeopathy
In Germany, homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine and phytotherapy in the Social Code V are the same as conventional medicine. However, medical services of these methods are not reimbursed as a regular benefit of the statutory health insurance (GKV). However, about two-thirds of the health insurance companies reimburse medical homeopathy under selective contracts. The prerequisite is that the treatment is carried out by a doctor who has a master's degree in homeopathy from the German Central Association of Homeopathic Physicians (DZVhÄ).

Patients are very satisfied with the homeopathic practice
According to Allensbach (2014), 60 percent of the German population has already used homeopathy for themselves. But how satisfied are patients with the effectiveness of homeopathy? The 2014 Health Monitor, a representative study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, shows that more than 80 percent of patients treated by homeopathic physicians improved their general condition and mental health. The most obvious decline was with 85 percent of physical complaints. 43 percent of the homeopathic patients surveyed stated that they had visited the homeopathic doctor because of a chronic illness. As the most frequent motive they called, "that no improvement was achieved elsewhere".

Cornelia Bajic, chairman of the German Central Association of Homeopathic Doctors DZVhÄ, evaluates the results "as an effective answer to the medical challenges of more and more chronically ill and multimorbid people".