New outpatient tariffs (TARDOC and outpatient flat rates) are applicable in all of Switzerland as of 1 January 2026. Only a few important changes to your submissions to Pathology are necessary, which we have summarized for you below.

  1. Pathology services are not included in the outpatient flat rates in 2026.
    In the outpatient setting, we will continue to bill the health insurance company or the patient directly; in the inpatient setting, billing will continue to be processed through the hospital, as before. The process will not change for you in any way, and you will not be affected by the costs of pathology.
  2. New order forms from January 2026
    Starting January 2026, some Sonic Suisse pathology institutes will be rolling out new order forms. These forms ask whether an outpatient flat rate is available; if you choose “Yes”, you have to enter the corresponding 6-digit flat rate code. This field allows you to voluntarily specify whether this is an outpatient flat rate case. The declaration is not mandatory but may help improve the traceability of the relevant information for future analyses.
  3. Copy of invoice
    No invoice copies need to be sent to the sender for pathology cases. This means there is no additional administrative work for you.
  4. Consumables can be billed again
    Starting in 2026, we may bill for certain consumables (defined in TARDOC, such as IHC or molecular pathology) according to the tariff. There are no costs or additional work for you (we do the billing automatically).
  5. Moderate cost adjustments in certain areas (e.g. Pap tests)
    Certain services are assessed differently under TARDOC: Some — especially those in cytology — are weighted higher, while others are classified lower. This is particularly evident in the Pap tests: The weighting of a negative PAP test is more than double the previous level.

Contact

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via our usual e-mail addresses:

FAQs

  1. Do I have to indicate whether it is a flat-rate case?
    You do not have to, but it is encouraged to facilitate better data collection.
  2. What do I enter if I do not know the flat-rate code?
    If the flat-rate code is not known or unclear, you can simply leave this part blank.
  3. Will I receive copies of invoices from Pathology?
    No. Unlike in other specialist areas, no invoice copies are sent to senders for pathology cases. There is no additional administrative work for you.
  4. Is there any change in the submission process?
    No, there are no changes except for our new order forms, which will be published on all channels, and the field “Outpatient flat rate: Yes/No + Code”.