Health Insurance Costs for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Switzerland
Author Information
Author(s): Busato Andre, Eichenberger Reiner, Künzi Beat
Primary Institution: Institute for Evaluative Research in Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Bern
Hypothesis
Does the inclusion of CAM in basic health insurance reduce patient-related cost in Swiss primary care?
Conclusion
The study found no significant difference in overall treatment costs per patient between CAM and conventional primary care in Switzerland.
Supporting Evidence
- Total average reimbursed cost per patient did not differ between CAM physicians and conventional practitioners.
- CAM physicians treat lower numbers of patients and a more cost-favourable patient population than conventional physicians.
- Consultation-related costs account for 56.2% of costs in certified CAM physicians.
Takeaway
This study looked at how much money is spent on alternative medicine in Switzerland and found that it costs about the same as regular medicine.
Methodology
The study was a cross-sectional evaluation involving surveys and reimbursement data from health insurers.
Potential Biases
Selection bias may have occurred due to differing motivations between participating CAM and conventional physicians.
Limitations
The study could not account for differences in patient demographics and case mix between CAM and conventional physicians.
Participant Demographics
The average ages of patients were 38.1, 43.2, and 47.3 years for certified CAM, noncertified CAM, and conventional physicians respectively.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.48
Confidence Interval
CI95: 4.19–4.85
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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