Record arrears owed to health insurers
Outstanding health bills last year reached a record SFr762 million ($722 million), according to the health insurance association Santésuisse.
The figure is up from SFr718 million in the previous year.
The economic crisis is one of the reasons for the arrears said a Santésuisse spokesman.
About 400,000 people are facing claims by their insurance companies and risk losing their insurance coverage and a further 150,000 patients have been suspended according to Santésuisse.
Health insurers and cantons, funding many of the public hospitals, have been fighting over compensation payments.
Switzerland has one of the best but also one of the most expensive health systems in the world.
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