The average cost of basic health insurance in Switzerland will increase by 6 percent when premiums are renewed for 2025, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP) has confirmed. The announcement has cemented three straight years of premium increases in the alpine nation.
According to the Federal Office for Public Health, premiums for basic health insurance in Switzerland will rise by an average of 6 percent when they are renewed next year. This means that the average premium will increase by 21,70 francs to 378,80 francs a month.
However, this increase is expected to vary by which Swiss canton you are resident in, with costs rising fastest in Jura, Ticino and Glarus. Average premiums in the three regions will increase by between 8,9 and 10,5 percent.
By contrast, premiums in the city of Basel will not rise much at all at just 1,5 percent. More moderate premium increases are expected in Canton Bern (5,6 percent), Zurich (4,9 percent), Geneva (6,5 percent) and Vaud (6,4 percent). Health insurance providers have until October 31 to let you know what your new premium will be for 2025.
At a press conference on September 26, Baume-Schneider explained that the cost of medicine and medical care in hospitals, GP surgeries and nursing homes has increased significantly in the last nine months, thanks to new treatments, higher demand and an ageing population. The inflation seen in Switzerland in the last few years is also now being reflected in the figures.
"The premiums follow the costs," Baume-Schneider noted, adding that "this cost growth must be kept within limits so that the healthcare system remains sustainably financed." She added that containing rising costs is a "permanent task" for the government, and called on Swiss cantons to do their part in reducing costs at local hospitals.
With most nations on the continent facing an ageing population, soaring healthcare costs are part of a Europe-wide phenomenon. While the average cost of health insurance in Switzerland has risen by 3,5 percent a year on average since 1996, the United Kingdom has increased health spending by 4,3 percent a year during the same period. Annual spending on healthcare in Germany has more than doubled since the turn of the century, going from 218,4 billion euros in 2000 to 498 billion euros in 2022.
With premiums in Switzerland having risen by 6,6 percent for 2023, 8,7 percent for 2024 and now 6 percent for 2025, many residents are expected to change their health insurance this year. While a majority of people in Switzerland report being happy with their provider, data from Comparis shows that 700.000 people could have saved at least 40 percent off their insurance bills, had they switched in 2023.
Under most conditions, the deadline for switching basic health insurance is November 30 - the terms for switching supplemental health insurance can be found in the insurance agreement. Once you have signed and agreed on a deal with your new provider, you must inform your old provider of your cancellation in writing.
Those who want to switch must make sure that their provider receives the cancellation via post on a working day before the deadline. Comparis has a selection of templates you can use to compose the letter, which can be found here.
Coverage with your old provider will then conclude on December 31, 2024, and your new deal and coverage will begin on New Year’s Day, 2025.
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