CSS boss Philomena Colatrella on the increase in basic insurance premiums: “The premium shock will definitely trigger a huge increase in switching insurance.”

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Philomena Colatrella (55) was barely sitting in the boardroom at headquarters in Lucerne when the CSS boss started the job. The lawyer who heads the second-largest health insurance company wants to make a difference and transform the healthcare system to remain affordable in the future. This is very necessary because the bonus shock is difficult for many people in Switzerland to digest.

Blick: Are you having trouble sleeping right now?
Philomena Colatrella: No, I don’t sleep much. But not because high premiums don’t worry me. I feel sorry for the population.

It’s hard for me to fully believe this!
It saddens me that those of us in the healthcare system cannot increase effectiveness and efficiency for the benefit of the insured, and that families can no longer pay the premiums. I really don’t like these types of premium increases to be announced.

What does this mean for the 1.5 million CSS customers, particularly in the core insurance space?
We increase premiums by an average of 8.4 percent. This is slightly below the Swiss average, but of course it is a lot of money for many people.

Will the bonus shock trigger a big increase in switching?
Yes, of course. High premium jumps encourage more people to switch. But it’s also important for customers to ask their insurance company how they can optimize their premiums to make the financial burden a little more bearable.

Anne Geneviève Bütikofer, director of the hospital umbrella association H+, believes that high switching costs can be reduced through a single fund. How big is the savings potential?
We strongly disagree with this. Premiums are a reflection of healthcare expenses. They are increasing not because of replacement costs, but because more treatments are being performed. Therefore, a single fund is definitely not a solution to the high premium problem.

What are the reasons for this premium increase?
First and foremost, due to the costs of medical services, which have risen sharply again since the pandemic, but also due to the performance of financial markets. Health insurance reserves fell from 12 billion francs to 8 billion francs last year.

Why have costs increased so much?
Many operations were postponed during Corona and have now been rescheduled. This initially reduced costs, but now they are increasing even more. There are also more doctor visits and preventive examinations. Our health survey showed that the health of the Swiss population is worse. For example, drug costs are increasing rapidly.

They are victimized, and those who pay premiums are victimized even more. As the second largest health insurer, why aren’t you doing more to combat this situation?
We health insurers do our homework: We control bills and keep our own business costs low. Political reforms will have the biggest impact on costs. The problem is that the truly effective ones haven’t crossed the finish line yet. It would be a shame if we don’t get any improvements in the overall system. It requires more courage and the ability to find compromise.

Where is courage needed?
With all actors in the system. There’s no point in blaming each other. However, I would like to see more encouragement from the Federal Public Health Agency BAG. It takes a thick skin to defend yourself against various lobbies. Ultimately, the Parliament decides, but bold proposals are also needed.

Why is there a lack of courage?
After all, it is the human factor and the opinion of certain interests. You must stick to the subject without fail and do not hesitate to make an effort. I work hard and want to make a difference. But I’m not in politics and it’s easier for me to convince my employees to make changes.

Do health insurance companies need more encouragement, too? After all, they are the bearers of bad news.
Bundestag Member Alain Berset has made it clear in recent years that health insurance companies are not responsible for the costs.

That’s nice, but I received the letter with the premium increase from the health insurance company, not from the Federal Council.
This is true. We are the bearers of the consequences of a systemic problem: Per capita costs are rising. This has little to do with demographics.

Why doesn’t aging play a role?
It has always been the case that the last years of life are the most expensive in terms of health. As we get older, this situation shifts backwards. Demographics are not the determining factor. Medical progress and medical services per insured person…

…does this mean we go to the doctor too much?
More services are provided. By the way, the problem is not population growth. Because immigrants also pay premiums.

We often hear from our patients that health insurance companies also pay for services that are unnecessary or uneconomical. Why don’t you take a closer look?
We have to pay basic insurance benefits. Health insurers can’t simply cancel benefits, but authorities must review them regularly. There are tools for this, but the implementation is not successful. This is not about streamlining, reducing or rationalizing, but about taking a closer look at services. We need an optimal health system, not a maximum.

Who is resisting? Service providers, i.e. doctors and hospitals?
Hospital density is still as high as it was when we first met 7 years ago. Even then, I said that half the hospitals would be enough. However, the number of hospitals is still the same.

People are becoming more and more victims of the premium burden. How can this be stopped?
First of all, with political reforms. Health insurance companies also need to be able to provide better support and information to premium payers. For example, drawing attention to the use of generics. We’re just not allowed to do that.

How come?
Because we no longer have a legal basis. In 2011, we sent out a general mailer for the first time. We wrote to insured people who had chosen an original preparation and informed them that there was a generic drug. Savings amounted to several million francs per year. Today we are no longer allowed to do this.

Who said this?
For data protection reasons we are no longer allowed to write to anyone about such matters.

Healthcare reforms take an incredibly long time, why?
Yes, it actually takes a long breath. A lot can change in the next few years. Uniform financing of outpatient and inpatient services, especially in the Efas region. This reform is well under way, things have looked different at times. The new Tardoc doctor tariff is also ready. Electronic patient record EPD is being consulted and double volunteering is being removed. If you don’t want an EPD, you must explicitly opt out of it. Digitalization in the healthcare system and more useful tools for evaluating new services are equally important.

Source :Blick