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Short-term work in many companies and rising unemployment are significantly reducing the income of many Swiss households. This affects the already high burden on households derived from health insurance premiums.
With many households having less money due to the corona pandemic, a 1 percent increase in health insurance premiums in the next year will create a massive additional burden, as online comparison service Comparis announced on Tuesday.
On average, 6.2 percent of household expenses go to health insurance premiums, according to a federal budget survey. With a salary cut from 20 to 30 percent, the burden of the premium increases in the worst case to 16 percent of gross income.
Premium charging for adults
Comparis examined the premium burden for adults without accident coverage with the most widespread family doctor model and the minimum deductible in Zurich, Bern, Bellinzona and Geneva with an average gross salary of 6,538 francs per month.
On average, the basic insurance burden in the cities of Zurich, Bern and Bellinzona is 7 percent of income. In Geneva it is 8 percent. With short-term work or unemployment, the burden increases by 2 percent.
Unemployed people with a 30 percent wage loss would suddenly have to spend 16 percent of their income on health insurance premiums. However, the bandwidth between the cheapest and the most expensive provider by region is large.
Insurers likely to slow growth
Comparis health insurance expert Felix Schneuwly expects, according to a KOF forecast, that health costs will increase by 3.3 percent in the current year. In fact, the increase in health insurance premiums is likely to be significantly less than 1 percent.
As a result of the economic downturn, insurers are likely to reduce some of their reserves and thus slow the rise in premiums, according to Schneuwly. At the end of September, the Federal Council will release the basic insurance premiums for next year.
