Health Insurance Premiums to Increase Significantly Again in 2024
Published: Tuesday, Sep 26th 2023, 03:39
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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On Tuesday afternoon, Swiss Health Minister and President Alain Berset announced the last health insurance premiums of his career. Experts expect a premium increase of 6.6% in the current year and a further increase of 8-9% in 2024. According to the health insurer association Santésuisse, health costs in the first half of 2023 rose by 7.9%, with per capita costs reaching 2240 francs, an increase of 6.4% compared to the previous year. The population growth is responsible for the lower per capita increase than the overall cost increase. The cantons of Uri and Bern are expected to experience the highest premium increases, with 13.3% and 10.5% respectively. Santésuisse director Verena Nold has made it clear that insurers will not be able to avoid above-average premium increases in 2024. The health insurance companies cannot reduce the increase due to the politically desired reduction of their reserves. Comparis expects an average premium increase of 6% across the country, with some insurers increasing premiums by up to 10%. The main drivers of the cost increase are higher bureaucracy, non-deliverable cheap medicines, more psychotherapies, the implementation of the nursing initiative and more people who have themselves examined for vague complaints. The Swiss Parliament has decided to oblige the cantons to contribute a minimum of 3.5-7.5% of the costs of the compulsory basic insurance for the premium subsidies. Both the federal government and the cantons jointly finance the premium subsidies, with the federal contribution fixed at 7.5% of gross costs.
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