Upside-down world at health insurers: Because many people saved last year, premiums are now rising

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Will premiums go up again? Then just switch! Year after year, authorities, experts and comparison portals encourage people to change health insurer after the premium hammer. A year ago a particularly large number did this. The result: health insurance premiums are now rising even more – for everyone!

After Health Minister Alain Berset (51) announced a 6.6 percent increase last year, the Swiss, who were lazy about change, took heart. They were looking for a cheaper insurance model or a cheaper health insurer.

1.2 premium percentage points

That is why health insurers received considerably less premium money than calculated. And therefore could no longer cover the budgeted costs. That must now be compensated. That is why premiums will increase even further for 2024. The switching effect alone amounts to 1.2 premium percentage points. So if no one had changed health insurance a year ago, the premium increase would now be ‘only’ 7.5 percent instead of the average 8.7 percent.

This fall, thousands of people will probably opt for cheaper health insurance again. Due to higher rents, increased energy prices and more expensive products in stores, many families are forced to respond to the premium increase by switching health insurers. The consequences for 2024 are foreseeable.

These are the cost drivers

If costs do not fall significantly over the next twelve months, Berset’s successor will announce another bonus hammer in a year’s time. And this is what it looks like. Health insurers expect a further cost increase of 3.4 percent for 2024. These are the biggest cost drivers:

According to the Federal Office for Public Health, approximately one third of the cost increase in recent years can be attributed to the aging of society.

According to studies by health insurers, Swiss people have the impression that they are less healthy than before Corona. Between March 2020 and 2022, the share of adults in Switzerland who consider themselves not completely healthy or ill has increased from 22 to 35 percent, as shown in a recent study commissioned by health insurer CSS. This has consequences: Last year there were fewer insured people who never visited a doctor.

The doctor has become more important: costs per insured person increased by 8.5 percent for outpatient hospital services and by 5.1 percent for medical practices. Physiotherapy also increased. Interesting: the number of doctor visits has remained stable, but the costs per doctor visit have increased. Doctors charge (and earn?) more than before when they have a patient in the consulting room.

In 2023, every insured person will have to pay approximately 1,000 francs in medication costs. Eight years ago it was still 750 francs – an enormous growth. Cancer drugs, preparations that suppress the functioning of the immune system and diabetes medications are responsible for 50 percent of this. Fat removal injections have been making headlines here in recent months. But the fact that many original preparations are still sold in Switzerland has also contributed to the cost growth. From 2024 onwards, a higher deductible will therefore be required.

Source:Blick