The tariff point determines the price

The tariff point value determines the price of a medical service. The higher the tariff point value, the more expensive the service.

Tarmed definition: How are the tariff point and tariff point value calculated?

In Tarmed, the name of the tariff system for all doctors throughout Switzerland, every medical service is assigned a specific number of tariff points. The number of tariff points indicates how time-consuming/expensive a service is: the more time-consuming/expensive a service, the more tariff points it has.

There is also the tariff point value. This determines the price of a tariff point. The tariff point value differs from canton to canton. 

To calculate how much a service costs, the tariff points are multiplied by the tariff point value. 

How are prices calculated for dental services?

Dentists in Switzerland also use a uniform tariff: the dental tariff. It includes over 500 individual services. 

Every service is assigned a certain number of tariff points. Here, too, there are tariff point values which determine the price. The tariff point value is fixed for treatments that are billed via health or accident insurance.

For all other treatments, dentists define the tariff point values themselves, so it’s worth comparing offers of different dentists.