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HEALTH INSURANCE

Swiss health insurance premiums to rise four percent on average in 2018

Compulsory health insurance premiums are set to rise again in 2018, the government announced.

Published: 28 September 2017 16:19 CEST
Swiss health insurance premiums to rise four percent on average in 2018
Photo: ginasanders/Depositphotos

The average four percent increase applies to what is known as the basic or standard premium, the compulsory health care premium for adults aged over 18, communicated the government on Thursday September 28th. The basic premium entitles the holder to an excess of 300 francs. 

Basic health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland and premiums go up each year, set by the insurance companies but with some consultation with the government. 

People can choose their 'excess' – the higher the excess the lower the monthly premium, and vice versa. 

The 4 percent increase for premiums in 2018 however is higher than the average increase of 3.7 percent over the last ten years. 

Premiums for children are set to rise at an even higher average in 2018 than for adults, 5 percent, while young adults aged 19 to 25 will be paying 4.4 percent more in 2018 for their premiums on average.

In eight cantons the increase is only three percent but the average increase in the price of premiums in the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Valais is 5 percent, raising the national average. 

The government argued that the increases were necessary because “premiums were too low for some insurers in recent years.” The higher costs, argued the government, are needed to cover the shortfall.

“The reserves fell below the prescribed minimum. Part of this year's premium increase is to restock the reserves,” communicated the government. 

“Health care costs are rising as a result of demographic development, medical and technical progress and volume growth,” added the government in its statement. 

Approximately 80 percent of the cost of compulsory medical insurance (LaMal) is divided into four main areas: patients treated through GP practices, inpatient care, outpatient care and the cost of prescribed medicines that health insurance firms must cover. 

In 2014, 62 percent of the electorate rejected plans in a referendum to create a public-run health insurance scheme to replace the current private system. In a 2007 referendum, 71 percent rejected similar reforms.

For more information on how to calculate how your health insurance may be affected, visit www.priminfo.admin.ch

READ MORE: Swiss reject public health insurance plan

 

 

 

HEALTH INSURANCE

Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

The Swiss health system is ranked among the best in the world, but some essentials, like glasses, aren't automatically covered by health insurance. That could soon change, however

Published: 16 May 2024 15:06 CEST
Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

Green Party Federal Councillor Katharina Prelicz-Huber revealed in an interview with newspaper 20 Minuten this week that the Federal Parliament had tabled a motion to include prescription glasses and contact lenses in Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance scheme. 

Prelicz-Huber stated: “The purpose of compulsory health insurance is to provide the services you need to get or stay healthy,”

The motion forms part of the legislation that will be voted on during the 2024 summer session of the Federal Council. 

Proposed changes 

According to Switzerland’s peak optician body, 4 in 5 Swiss wear glasses or contact lenses at some point. 

It’s no surprise that statistics repository, Statista, projects the Swiss eyewear industry to be worth €1.37 billion by 2028. 

Currently, glasses and contact lenses are covered for up to 180 francs for children until age eighteen, if they are proscribed by a doctor.

Adults can also claim money back for glasses and contact lenses – however, they must be suffering from one of a short list of specific conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea is distorted – or severe myopia, otherwise known as near-sightedness.

They must also have been specifically prescribed them by a doctor or optometrist. 

Otherwise, supplemental optical insurance must be purchased in Switzerland to ensure you can recoup the cost. 

Under the Green Party proposal, glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids would be covered, regardless of age. 

Rising premiums prompt opposition 

Not everybody agrees with the proposal. 

The right-wing SVP has already spoken out against it, with Federal Councillor Diana Gutjahr arguing: “If we seriously want to slow down the burdensome and constantly rising health costs for the benefit of the population, we [must] show the political will not to constantly expand the benefits of compulsory health insurance.”

A spokesman for the the health insurance advocacy group Santesuisse, Matthias Müller, echoed Gutjahr, claiming that insurance constitutes “financing for extraordinary events such as illness.”

“If almost everyone benefits from a certain service, it is no longer an insurance benefit.”

A date for the vote has yet to be announced. 

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