Anyone who switches to the cheapest health insurance company each year saves huge sums of money over the years. But in normal years, Swiss people are considered to be extraordinarily lazy about change. Not so in this case: One in four people changed health insurance! The figure also surprised Comparator Felix Schneuwly (62). Normally, not one in ten people chooses a new provider. “Inflation has probably increased the saving pressure,” the expert suspects. Premiums have risen particularly sharply this year.
A health insurance company is one of the top beneficiaries: 40 percent more customers — that’s how much it will earn next year, according to health insurance company KPT.
Many new customers involve risk
First of all, KPT has managed to gain many customers from Assura and Atupri. This is the result of a study by Comparis. Many policyholders have also switched from Visana to Helsana.
Small insurers are also among the big winners. This is a surprise for Felix Schneuwly.
But behind the huge increase in customer numbers is a risk to the winners of this year’s switch series. “Since every insurer has to build up reserves for new customers, a large increase in customer numbers risks running out of solvency next year,” explains Schneuwly.
Poor service as motivation
The main reason for the change is the sharp increase in premium costs. Because they have everything! On average, Switzerland will pay 6.6 percent more for basic insurance in 2023. However, according to Comparis research, poor service from the old cash register also motivates people to replace the cash register. In the insurance model, on the other hand, customers are less open to new areas: they continue to use the same model even after many changes.
Age also plays a role when it comes to changing jobs: those under 36 are particularly willing to make changes. Additionally, men were more likely than women to choose a new health insurance company: almost a third of men changed their health insurance company, while only a fifth of women did. Insureds from French-speaking Switzerland chose a new insurance fund more often than German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino.