20 Minutes. A recent article in the newspaper 20 Minutes highlights the nasty surprise some young people experience when their parents fail to pay their health insurance premiums. Turning 18 is one of life’s key milestones. It corresponds with the end of school and entry into a new world. In Switzerland it is also a […]
Half of Swiss happy to be tracked to reduce health insurance premiums
Ahead of Forum des 100, a Swiss health conference organised by the newspaper Le Temps, the organisers conducted a survey to see how many would be prepared to have their lifestyles electronically monitored in return for a discount on what they pay for health insurance. According to the results, 47% were happy to have their […]
Thousands of cross-border workers risk big bills for health insurance
Tribune de Genève. Thousands of cross-border workers working in the canton of Geneva, who have not yet formally sorted out their health insurance situation, risk getting a big bill. This week the canton made a final call to those living in France and working in Geneva to make a formal choice between the French and […]
Those over 25 may pay more for Swiss health insurance
20 Minutes. The Swiss States Council commission on public health endorsed a plan that could lead to higher health insurance premiums for those over 25. Swiss health insurance providers are required to pay into a communal pot to spread risk between insurance companies. The latest plan would reduce the amounts paid into this communal pot for every […]
Changes to health insurance zones could lead to steep premium rises for some
In Switzerland, how much you pay for compulsory health insurance depends on where you live. Premiums vary hugely by canton. For 2016, average monthly adult premiums in Basel City are CHF 545.60, Switzerland’s most expensive, compared to CHF 326.70, in lowest-cost Appenzell-Innerhoden. The difference between the two cantons is 40%. In addition to big differences between […]
Swiss government plan to reduce doctors’ visits
20 Minutes. Some Swiss politicians would like to focus minds on the costs of going to the doctor to reduce the number going for the most minor of reasons. Their plan would require deductibles to rise annually in line with increases in the cost of basic health insurance. Higher deductibles, they think, would put people off […]
Plan to reduce health premiums for 26 to 35 year-olds rejected by cabinet
20 Minutes. A government commission has been developing a package of changes to Switzerland’s compulsory basic health insurance for the last five years. The group recently agreed on changes that would reduce the premiums paid by younger adults, who consume less health resource, and reduce the amount children pay. Part of this plan, which the commission […]
Swiss health insurance premiums could rise 4 to 5 percent
24 Heures. Spokesperson Verena Nold from Santesuisse, an organisation representing many of Switzerland’s health insurers, told Swiss public radio last Friday that the organisation expects Swiss health insurance premiums to go up by a similar percentage in 2017 as they have in recent years. According to Ms Nold, people are going to the doctor more often, and […]
Healthcare – Switzerland the most expensive after the USA
Tribune de Genève. This week the newspaper Tribune de Genève reported that according to an OECD report Switzerland’s healthcare costs have gone up faster than most industrialised countries. Health spending per capita is second only to the USA. In 2013 Switzerland’s health costs increased at twice the pace of the OECD average of 1%. In […]
Costly Swiss drugs – why pain continues despite strong franc
Medicines are expensive in Switzerland and while a number of groups such as Santé Suisse are working hard to secure savings, the problem of relatively high prices continues. High drug prices persist in Switzerland for three key reasons. 1. Too many branded drugs There are two kinds of drugs: branded and generic drugs with expired-patents. […]
