It’s that time of the year again. Once a year every insured person has the right to change the provider of his or her basic compulsory Swiss health insurance. For most people changing is only possible if you cancel your existing policy by 30 November. This date is approaching. Deadline for annual changes is 30 […]
Swiss health insurers to send patients to pharmacy first
Swiss healthcare is typically ranked the world’s second most expensive, as a percentage of GDP, after the US. In Switzerland, compulsory health insurance premiums cover 37% of healthcare costs. Much of the rest is covered by tax payers and non-reimbursable out-of-pocket payments by individuals. As part of a plan to reduce costs, this week, the […]
Swiss health insurance deductibles to rise automatically
Today, Switzerland’s parliament decided to bring in a system of regular increases in the deductibles for basic compulsory Swiss health insurance, according to the newspaper Le Matin. However, a plan to raise the the minimum deductible to CHF 500 was rejected by a clear majority. Between 1996 and 2004, the minimum deductible went from CHF […]
Swiss health insurance deductibles to be locked in for 3 years
One way to reduce the cost of compulsory Swiss health insurance is to choose a high deductible. Currently, some people do this and then postpone treatment until they’ve switched to a lower deductible the following year. Recently, Switzerland’s parliament voted 113 against 60 in favour of locking in deductibles for three years to reduce this […]
Swiss health insurance companies aim to make it easier to break contracts
Swiss health insurance companies are aiming to change laws to make it easier for them to unilaterally end complementary insurance contracts, according to the newspaper Le Matin. Health insurers have managed to get this possibility included in a project aimed at revising Switzerland’s laws on insurance contracts, set for discussion by a parliamentary committee this […]
Healthcare costs rise further in Switzerland
Statistics published today show a further rise in Swiss healthcare costs. In 2016, spending on healthcare rose by 3.8% reaching over CHF 80 billion, 12.2% of GDP. In 2015, Swiss healthcare spending was equal to 11.9% of GDP. The challenge of rising healthcare costs is not confined to Switzerland. In the UK in 2015, healthcare […]
Insurance boss suggests Swiss health insurance deductibles of 10,000 francs
Philomena Colatrella, the CEO of Swiss insurer CSS Insurance, has stirred the lively debate around Switzerland’s rising cost of health insurance by proposing deductibles of CHF 5,000 and CHF 10,000 – deductibles set the amount people pay out of their own pockets before their insurance kicks in. Colatrella discussed the idea in an interview with […]
Switzerland’s parliament rejects plan to cut health insurance discounts
Switzerland has a system of compulsory health insurance. Residents must choose an insurer and pay. Those who don’t are automatically signed up and sent a bill. Other than shopping around, choosing a policy with an excess, a sum that must be covered out of your own pocket before the insurance kicks in, is one of […]
Swiss fact: health insurance premiums cover only 37% of Swiss healthcare costs
Figures published in 2017 show that only 37% of Swiss healthcare costs were covered by basic compulsory health insurance premiums. The remaining cost was covered by the government (20%), accident and social insurance (10%), private complementary health insurance (7%), charity (1%) and out-of-pocket spending by individuals (26%). Infogram Compulsory Swiss health insurance requires policy holders […]
Higher Swiss health premiums for those with big deductibles
Switzerland’s Federal Council announced plans to reduce the discounts offered to those willing to risk paying the first chunk of their annual medical bills. It also plans to adjust deductibles in line with shifts in medical costs. This will be discussed until 19 October 2017. Switzerland’s compulsory basic health insurance can be bought from a range of […]
