From 2 p.m., Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider will announce how much health insurance premiums will rise in the coming year. Follow the conference in the livestream.
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- At 2 p.m., it will be announced by what percentage health insurance premiums will rise in the coming year.
- The health insurance association Santésuisse is expecting an increase of 5 percent.
- Follow the conference in the livestream.
Health insurance premiums will rise by an average of six percent in 2025. The average monthly premium will be CHF 378.70. Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider expressed her conviction on Thursday that it would be possible to reduce healthcare costs without compromising quality.
The six percent increase is lower than this year's 8.7 percent. The average monthly premium is calculated by adding up all premiums paid in Switzerland and dividing them by the number of insured persons.
For adults, the premium will rise by CHF 25.30 to CHF 449.20 in 2025. Young adults will have to pay CHF 16.10 more and thus CHF 314.10. For children, the average premium will rise by CHF 6.50 to CHF 117.90.
Due to the ageing population and new therapies and medicines, costs will continue to rise in the future. Switzerland has a very good healthcare system, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider told the media in Bern. And this system has its price. However, she is convinced "that it is possible to reduce costs without compromising quality". All players in the healthcare system and the insured themselves must contribute to this.
The increase in premiums can be explained by the rising costs of health insurance. In 2023, costs have already risen faster than the long-term average. According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), growth amounted to 4.6 percent. In the first half of 2024, costs have now risen again by 4.1% compared to the same period last year.
Strongest increase in Ticino
Baume-Schneider explained that inflation has also had an impact on tariffs since this year. The consequences have been felt in the healthcare sector with a time lag, as there is no automatic adjustment of tariffs, but they have to be renegotiated between the tariff partners.
The average premium increase of six percent is based on estimates by the insurance companies. However, the actual increase is expected to be lower, writes the FOPH in a press release. This is because more insured persons are likely to choose higher deductibles or an alternative insurance model in the event of sharp increases, which would lower the average premium level.
The increases also differ enormously between the cantons. With an increase of 10.5 percent, the canton of Ticino is by far the highest. The average monthly premium in the southern canton is now CHF 472.70. Premiums in the canton of Basel-Stadt rose the least at 1.5 percent - the average premium is now CHF 456.20.
At the beginning of 2024, the reserves of health insurance companies across the entire sector have fallen from CHF 8.5 billion to CHF 7.3 billion. The main reason cited by the federal government is the fact that costs rose more sharply in 2023 than was expected at the time the premiums were submitted.
Next submission in November
A number of proposals for cost-cutting measures are on the table or already in the political process. For example, on Thursday, the day the 2025 premiums were announced, the Council of States approved a motion from the SVP. It calls for an increase in the minimum deductible. In addition, the second cost-containment package is currently in parliament. This includes measures such as volume discounts on medicines that generate a lot of sales and the strengthening of coordinated healthcare.
The bill on the uniform financing of outpatient and inpatient healthcare services (Efas for short) will also be put to the people on November 24.
At present, inpatient treatment is paid for by the cantons and health insurance companies, while outpatient treatment is covered by the health insurance companies alone. The bill is intended to create an incentive for a shift from inpatient to outpatient treatment, which should lead to lower healthcare costs.