Health care costs to rise by 2.8%, lower than recent annual increases averaging 3.3%
Less stretching of your medical costs in 2013
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Swiss health insurance premiums will rise by 1.5 percent on average for an adult in 2013, the federal Health Office announced Thursday 27 September. Increases vary from one canton to another, in a range of 0.5 to 4.4 percent, with Vaud seeing a 2.2 percent increase and Geneva 1.5 percent.
The figures are for adults with standard care and a deductible of CHF300.
Insurance companies must inform policy holders by the end of October of any increases. Clients then have one month, until the end of November to terminate and change companies, or to select a new policy with the same company.
By law, Swiss residents are required to have health and accident insurance.
System needs to be more transparent
A 1.5 percent increase equals CHF5.70 per month, on average. In reality, the increase to be paid by policy holders will be closer to 1.2 percent on average, says the health office, because few people choose the standard policies. It describes the health insurance policy system as “opaque” for most consumers, with 287,000 different policy options on offer. “Work is underway to simplify the system and make it more transparent,” the report on 2013 premiums notes.
The increase is, with one exception for a similar figure, the lowest annual rise in the past 10 years, according to Alain Berset, health minister. The average annual increase has been about 3.7 percent.
Premiums for children will fall 1.4 percent on average but they will rise for young people, ages 19-25, by 2.9 percent.
Health care cost increases slowing down
Health care costs are expected to rise by 2.8 percent in 2013, less than the average of recent years, of 3.3 percent. The government is currently considering expanding the number of approved doctor’s offices, as costs in this area have fallen slightly.
The new premiums for 2013 and tips (Fr, It, Ge) for reducing insurance costs are available on the government site: www.priminfo.ch. The health office also takes calls in the three national languages about health insurance:
- French 031 / 324 88 02
- German 031 / 324 88 01
- Italian 031 / 324 88 03
