“For reasons of transparency, the nationality of insured persons must be considered as a variable to be analysed to examine the benefits payable by health insurance,” said deputy Cyril Aellen from the Radical Liberal party, one of the move’s instigators. 

The objective of this push is to find out if foreign residents cost the obligatory health insurance scheme more than the Swiss, although it is not clear at this point what purpose would this information ultimately serve.

Under the proposal, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) would be responsible for this task on an annual basis.

But though the motion was accepted by 105 votes against 85, those opposed to the proposed measure have pointed out why it should not be implemented.

A discriminatory practice

“It is an absurd, time-consuming and discriminatory bureaucratic exercise, ” according to Social Democrat Brigitte Crottaz, who voted against the motion.

“Some MPs want to demonstrate that foreigners cost more to health insurance,” she added. “But nationality is not a significant factor in the field of health, unlike other factors such as age or gender.” 

Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has also criticised the move.

“A million people have dual nationality in Switzerland. How will they be considered [for statistical reasons] — as Swiss or foreigners?” she asked.

“The amendment is not necessary because the FSO can already produce in-depth statistics on the costs borne by health insurance,” she added.

The motion will now pass on to the Council of States for further deliberation.

Car insurance tool

The field of health insurance is not the only area where nationality of the customer plays a role: the price of vehicle insurance premium often depends on the country the driver is from as well.

“Nationality is an important criterion for insurers in calculating the probability of a claim, even if it may seem unfair,” according to Adi Kolecic, mobility expert at Comparis consumer platform, which analysed how rates are based on the motorists’ origin.

“If statistics show that people who hold a certain citizenship tend to make more claims or be involved in more incidents than people of other nationalities, those statistics may influence the premiums charged.”

As a result of this approach, drivers from certain countries pay up to 74 percent more for their insurance than their Swiss counterparts.

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