proQura recommended as a pioneering system for sustainable cost containment

At the end of October 2025, the “Round Table on Cost Containment” chaired by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider decided on concrete measures to reduce costs in the healthcare system. A key element is the passing on of discounts on therapeutic products to health insurers. This is expected to save around 60 million Swiss francs annually – proQura is an integral part of these measures.

The “Round Table on Cost Containment” set out various measures to reduce healthcare costs in the “Round Table on Cost Containment Action Paper“. One of the 12 measures adopted concerns the passing on of discounts in accordance with Art. 56 para. 3bis KVG and the VITH. The members of the Round Table agree that measures should be taken to ensure that the obligation to pass on advantages is implemented as comprehensively as possible. The action paper expressly stipulates that doctors can use external service providers for implementation. Pro Medicus offers this service under the name proQura for registered specialists.

With immediate effect, all doctors should consistently pass on any discounts they receive when purchasing therapeutic products to health insurers. This recommendation was adopted on 27 October 2025 by the Round Table on Cost Containment in Healthcare, set up by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, as one of a total of 12 measures (press release).

The aim of the measure listed there, “Passing on discounts”, is to curb the rise in premiums for insured persons and to make the passing on of discounts feasible for all parties. The policy paper expressly stipulates that doctors may use external service providers to implement the measure. Pro Medicus offers this service to registered specialists under the name proQura. proQura is one of several systems that support the medical profession in implementing the legal provisions on the passing on of discounts.

Through the consistent passing on of advantages, the round table expects total savings of CHF 60 million per year, CHF 30 million of which will come from doctors and CHF 30 million from hospitals. Experience shows that this goal is realistic: proQura alone was able to pass on CHF 13.8 million in discounts to insurance companies in 2024. In total, proQura has passed on almost CHF 50 million to insurance companies over the past five years. These funds are used by health insurers to curb cost increases.

The members of the Round Table on Cost Containment in Healthcare agree that the legally compliant and practical passing on of discounts needs more support. The round table is calling for the passing on of discounts to be implemented across the board, i.e. in hospitals, by GPs, specialists and pharmacies. In addition, the Ordinance on Transparency and Integrity in the Therapeutic Products Sector (VITH) is to be adapted so that medical devices are also included in the regulations in future – a welcome step. Pro Medicus, the operating company of proQura, is a member of a working group set up by the FOPH in the summer of 2025 and led by the FMH, which also includes representatives of health insurance purchasing groups and GP networks. This working group was set up by the FOPH with the aim of making the guidelines on discount passing on feasible for all medical practices.