Slovenia’s Switzerland Dream: Lessons for TCM

Slovenians have long dreamed of becoming “another Switzerland” — a country known for high quality of life, efficient institutions, pragmatic governance, and systems that deliver real results for citizens. After more than three decades of independence, significant progress has been made. Yet in many areas, including healthcare, the gap between aspiration and fully implemented reality remains visible.

Recent Slovenian legal analysis directly addresses this contrast. In their 2026 article “V Švici pet metod nekonvencionalne medicine krije obvezno zdravstveno zavarovanje – kaj pa pri nas?”, Nataša Samec Berghaus and Boštjan Koritnik examine how Switzerland has successfully integrated complementary medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, into its compulsory health insurance system — and ask what Slovenia can learn from that model.

One promising field where this dream can meet concrete action is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture. Switzerland has developed a balanced, publicly supported model of regulated integration that offers valuable lessons. Interestingly, Slovenia already has older roots in TCM — roots that were planted with direct Chinese expertise in the late 1970s. By comparing both journeys, we can identify clear, practical steps to strengthen TCM in Slovenia and bring it closer to the high standards many Slovenians associate with Switzerland.

Early Roots: Chinese Expertise Meets Slovenian Initiative (Late 1970s)

Acupuncture and TCM first arrived in Slovenia in the late 1970s, while it was still part of Yugoslavia. A defining moment came in 1978 at Slovenj Gradec General Hospital, where Chinese experts demonstrated acupuncture techniques. This led to the Slovenj Gradec Declaration and the inclusion of acupuncture in payable medical services by 1979.

The Chinese contribution was essential from the start. The 1978 symposium brought direct knowledge transfer, inspiring Slovenian physicians — most notably anesthesiologist prim. mag. Marija Cesar Komar — to open some of the country’s first dedicated acupuncture clinics, particularly for pain management. These early efforts showed genuine clinical promise and openness to integrating Eastern methods into Western hospital settings.

However, momentum was interrupted. The breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Slovenia’s independence process, economic transition, and focus on EU healthcare alignment meant these promising beginnings were never systematically developed into a national framework.

The 2007 Law and the Implementation Gap

In 2007, Slovenia adopted the Zakon o zdravilstvu (Complementary and Alternative Medicine Act). The law formally recognized TCM and acupuncture as legitimate complementary practices and created a pathway for practitioner licensing.

While this provided important legal recognition, the framework has not been fully implemented. There is still no meaningful coverage of TCM under the public compulsory health insurance system. Some public hospitals offer acupuncture in pain clinics, but waiting lists are extremely long and only a very limited range of conditions is treated. Supplementary insurance rarely covers proper therapeutic TCM. Because the Slovenian system never established a clear recognition pathway for Chinese-trained doctors, much of what is offered ends up being marketed as “wellness” rather than clinical TCM. As a result, most patients seeking full Traditional Chinese Medicine must pay privately.

Samec Berghaus and Koritnik’s 2026 analysis highlights exactly this difference by showing how Switzerland moved from recognition to practical, insurance-backed integration.

Switzerland’s Model: Pragmatism Over Rigidity

Switzerland’s deeper engagement with TCM developed later. Structured progress accelerated from the mid-1990s, driven significantly by Chinese-trained expertise. A key figure has been Dr. Hong-Guang Dong, who graduated from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and began integrating TCM into Swiss university hospitals (HUG Geneva) from 1996. He later founded the Sino-Swiss Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Meyrin (2018) — a leading integrative clinic recognized by China’s State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and supported by Chinese institutions alongside Swiss partners.

What stands out is Switzerland’s pragmatic approach. Chinese doctors were not forced into a single rigid pathway. Those who wished to fully integrate (such as Dr. Dong) learned the local language and obtained Swiss medical qualifications, allowing them to work directly inside the hospital system. Others operated in private clinics, sometimes with the support of interpreters (“secretary-interpreters”). This flexibility did not prevent the country from later creating clear national rules.

The decisive step came with the May 2009 national referendum, in which 67% of Swiss voters approved the inclusion of complementary medicine, including TCM, in the healthcare system. This democratic mandate led to actual insurance coverage under basic health insurance from 2012, with clear and workable rules:

• Basic insurance covers TCM when provided by certified medical doctors with recognised additional training.

• Qualified non-physician practitioners can be reimbursed through supplementary insurance if they meet standards set by professional registers.

Switzerland combined pragmatism with structure. It allowed different practical solutions while gradually building professional standards, hospital integration, and insurance coverage.

Key Lessons for Slovenia

Several clear differences and opportunities stand out when comparing the two countries:

• Chinese contribution was present in Slovenia already in 1978 through direct knowledge transfer, while Switzerland has maintained ongoing partnerships through experts, training programmes and bilateral centres.

• Turning point: Slovenia gained legal recognition in 2007, whereas Switzerland achieved practical integration through a 2009 referendum followed by clear insurance rules.

• Pragmatism vs rigidity: Switzerland allowed flexible pathways for Chinese doctors (full integration for some, interpreter-supported practice for others) before creating national rules. Slovenia has struggled to create any effective recognition pathway.

• Insurance and access: Slovenia still has no meaningful public or supplementary insurance coverage for proper therapeutic TCM, while Switzerland operates a tiered system.

• Professional standards: Slovenia’s framework is still developing under SZKMA’s leadership, whereas Switzerland uses established registers and additional certification pathways for doctors.

• Clinical integration: TCM in Slovenia remains almost entirely private-pay with very restricted hospital access, while Switzerland has seen growing involvement in hospitals and integrative departments.

These points show that legal recognition alone is not enough. Effective implementation requires both pragmatic flexibility and clear rules — exactly the combination Switzerland demonstrated.

The Way Forward for Slovenia and SZKMA

Slovenia’s aspiration to Swiss-style quality is not only economic — it includes efficient, patient-centered, high-standard systems. TCM can contribute meaningfully to this vision by offering safe, evidence-informed complementary care, especially for chronic conditions, pain management, and prevention.

SZKMA, as Slovenia’s leading professional body for TCM and acupuncture, is ideally positioned to lead this next phase. Building on the 1978 Chinese-supported foundations and the 2007 legal base, SZKMA can champion:

• Clear professional standards and quality registers

• Practical pathways for both medical doctors and qualified practitioners (including recognition routes for Chinese-trained doctors)

• Strategic Sino-Slovenian partnerships for training and clinical excellence

• Pilot integrative projects in hospitals and specialist centres

• Greater public and policy engagement to give the existing legal framework real momentum

Switzerland shows what becomes possible when pragmatism is combined with democratic legitimacy, clear rules, and strong professional self-regulation. Slovenia already possesses the historical roots, legal recognition, and a dedicated professional association. What remains is focused implementation — the very quality many Slovenians associate with the Swiss model.

SZKMA invites practitioners, physicians, researchers, and policymakers to work together on this constructive path. By combining Slovenia’s early TCM heritage with the best lessons from Switzerland, we can build a system that reflects both our history and our highest ambitions for quality and patient care.

References

Samec Berghaus, N. & Koritnik, B. (2026). V Švici pet metod nekonvencionalne medicine krije obvezno zdravstveno zavarovanje – kaj pa pri nas?