The premium shock in health insurance next year is largely due to inflation. Inflation means that basic insurance premiums will increase by more than 6 percent in 2023.
However, the administrative costs of individual funds are also decisive for the premium amount. A new study by Compparis now shows how effectively basic insurance works. But are the most efficient payouts also the cheapest?
little ones big
According to the comparison study, the average administrative expense per person is CHF 197. This corresponds to an average of 5.2 percent of the premiums paid. This value is used to measure how cost-effectively the health insurance companies operate.
It is noteworthy that the top 3 most efficient health insurance companies are all small health insurance companies. Health insurance company Luzerner Hinterland is the cheapest. Each insured person incurs a fee of only 105 francs. Fewer than 19,000 people are insured with health insurance.
Overslept digitization?
No major health insurance company made it into the top three in the study. This surprised. In fact, administrative costs per capita should tend to decrease as the number of insured increases.
Felix Schneuwly (62), Comparis’ health insurance expert, can only partially explain this fact. “Basic insurance is a collective business, even with increased bureaucracy costs, administrative costs should come down collectively,” says Blick.
Schneuwly cites high salaries on carpeted floors and failures in digitization as possible causes of high administrative costs at large insurance companies, in addition to increased red tape.
Exception rule confirms
Even if the amount of the premium is dependent on only a limited amount of administrative effort, there is still a certain correlation. Low premium insurance companies also tend to be efficient companies. Accordingly, those at the bottom of the productivity rankings also receive a premium above the average.