New health insurance premiums are ‘good news’ for most

While many in Switzerland can look forward to lower health insurance premiums next year, some will be paying nearly 3% more.

On average, the premiums will go up by 0.2% in 2020, announced Home Affairs Minister Alain Berset on Tuesday. “That’s very good news,” said Berset at a media conference in Bern, but added that “we have to keep fighting” to manage health-related costs in Switzerland.

The Federal Office of Public Health attributes the moderate increase in health premiums to cost-cutting measures such as the revision of the TARMED tariff system [CHF500 million ($506 million) saved] and the continuous lowering of medication prices – which has brought savings of around CHF1 billion since 2012.

However, residents of cantons Appenzell Outer Rhodes, Graubünden, Ticino and Valais will have to pay at least 1.5% more starting in January. In canton Neuchâtel, the increase is greatest: 2.9%. The local authorities attribute this to the shrinking population and the fact that nearly half of the people are insured by a company in the red that had to adjust its prices.

In the following ten cantons, premiums will go down: Aargau, Basel City, Bern, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Vaud, Zug and Zurich. Lucerne can look forward to the biggest discount of 1.5%.

On average, the monthly cost per person of health insurance will be CHF315.40. For those aged 19-25, it will be CHF265.30, representing savings of 2%.