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Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Swiss government’s latest figures for health care costs, for 2007, show that costs “rose markedly higher than in the previous five years,” by nearly five percent in a year, to CHF55.3 million. Given the growth of the economy overall, the share of health care spending as a percentage of GDP remained stable at 10.3 percent. Only the US, with over 15 percent of GPD (gross domestic product) and France, with 11 percent, spend more on health care than Switzerland, based on 2006 OECD figures, a government report published 30 March indicates.

Switzerland has a mixed public-private health insurance coverage system. In 2007, the balance in the share of costs attributed to various providers showed virtually no change, with social security continuing to have the lion’s share: 42.8 percent, while the State paid for 16.5 percent, private insurance 9.2 percent and households 31.5 percent.

The government cautions that the 2007 figures are not final, confirmed numbers because data from communes and the cost of dental care are not yet included: these have been estimated.