TARDOC, service caps and 1577 tariff points
As of: 2026-07-27
TARDOC replaces the previous fee-for-service tariff in outpatient care. What matters for daily practice is not only the tariff structure itself, but how strongly remuneration is capped afterwards.
Established facts
TARDOC and the outpatient flat rates were approved by the Federal Council as new outpatient tariff structures; the responsible federal bodies and tariff partners publish the current state of implementation. The structure includes a mechanism to limit cost growth, referred to in the technical debate as an upper limit or service cap.
The figure of 1577 tariff points refers to a reference value used in the tariff discussion. It is a calculation value within that debate, not a valid price on its own.
Our position
Remuneration is appropriate only when it reflects the actual effort a service requires — including time for history taking, coordination and documentation. Freie Ärzte Schweiz argues that the 1577 tariff point reference must be taken seriously as a benchmark and must not be hollowed out by downstream capping.
A blanket cap applies regardless of whether a service was medically necessary. We consider that the wrong steering approach: yes to cost responsibility, but through quality, indication and transparency — not through a volume-independent reduction.
What we ask for
First: a transparent, verifiable derivation of every capping mechanism. Second: monitoring of its effects on care, especially in primary care and rural regions. Third: involvement of practising physicians in developing the tariff structure.
Freie Ärzte Schweiz is currently not recognised as an outpatient tariff partner and is not part of OAAT. We state our position publicly and verifiably, and work to be heard as a voice of practising physicians.
Sources and status
- BAG – TARDOC und ambulante Pauschalen(opens in a new tab)
- OAAT – FAQ zum Gesamttarifsystem(opens in a new tab)
- FMH – Höchstgrenze Taxpunktwert(opens in a new tab)
External sources. The original version published there always prevails.
status: 2026-07-27