101.7 FM IN GENEVA DAB+, CABLE & SATELLITE ACROSS SWITZERLAND
LISTEN ONLINE 
P O P U L A R
- alcohol
- army knives
- banks
- Basel
- Bern
- cannabis
- CH votes
- cheese
- children
- chocolate
- consumers
- crime
- cycling
- easyJet
- environment
- EU
- expats
- gay
- Geneva
- health insurance
- hiking
- jura
- language
- lausanne
- Olympics
- Polanski
- real estate
- skiing
- smoking
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- swiss watches
- tax
- tax.
- tax. banks
- ticino
- tourism
- trains
- wine
- workplace
- zurich
S U B S C R I B E
WRS stories about health insurance
More Swiss seek medical treatment abroad
Monday, 1 October, 2012
More and more Swiss residents are traveling to Germany for medical treatment. Between 2006 and 2010 the number rose by 50 percent. Daily hospital costs can be as much as 40 percent lower across the border. For insurers and patients alike, this sounds like a win-win situation: patients pay less, and insurers have less to reimburse. So will the numbers rise even further? WRS’s Dave Goodman spoke to Paul Rhyn, from the Swiss Association of Health Insurers, SantéSuisse and began by asking if it’s possible for anybody to be treated abroad:
Monday, 1 October, 2012
More and more Swiss residents are traveling to Germany for medical treatment. Between 2006 and 2010 the number rose by 50 percent. Daily hospital costs can be as much as 40 percent lower across the border. For insurers and patients alike, this sounds like a win-win situation: patients pay less, and insurers have less to reimburse. So will the numbers rise even further? WRS’s Dave Goodman spoke to Paul Rhyn, from the Swiss Association of Health Insurers, SantéSuisse and began by asking if it’s possible for anybody to be treated abroad:
Doctors: Red tape holding back cancer drugs for kids
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Each year in Switzerland, around 200 children are diagnosed with some form of cancer. The symptoms and treatment are a huge burden for children and their families to bear. But, according to the doctors who treat them, nearly one family in three fighting cancer also faces additional stress and red tape simply because of the medication they need. WRS’s Catherine Allen has more:
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Each year in Switzerland, around 200 children are diagnosed with some form of cancer. The symptoms and treatment are a huge burden for children and their families to bear. But, according to the doctors who treat them, nearly one family in three fighting cancer also faces additional stress and red tape simply because of the medication they need. WRS’s Catherine Allen has more:
Don't delay if you're changing health insurance plans
Monday, 14 November, 2011
Are you happy with your Swiss health insurance plan? If not, now is the time to switch—you have until the end of this month to change policy or company without paying a fee. But how should you go about it? And what should you keep in mind, when choosing a new plan? WRS’s Pete Forster talks to Barbara Venditti, a legal advisor with the consumer magazine Bon à Savoir:
Monday, 14 November, 2011
Are you happy with your Swiss health insurance plan? If not, now is the time to switch—you have until the end of this month to change policy or company without paying a fee. But how should you go about it? And what should you keep in mind, when choosing a new plan? WRS’s Pete Forster talks to Barbara Venditti, a legal advisor with the consumer magazine Bon à Savoir:
Health insurance costs set to rise, but less than last year
Wednesday, 28 September, 2011
The Federal Office of Public Health says health insurance premiums will rise by 2.2 percent for adults with a 300 franc deductible. The office did not say how much premiums will rise for those with higher deductibles. The 2.2 percent increase is much lower than last year’s 6.5 percent hike. WRS’s Alex Helmick talks about the increase and how to find the best insurance rates with Zeynep Ersan Berdoz, editor in chief of consumer magazine Bon à Savoir:
Wednesday, 28 September, 2011
The Federal Office of Public Health says health insurance premiums will rise by 2.2 percent for adults with a 300 franc deductible. The office did not say how much premiums will rise for those with higher deductibles. The 2.2 percent increase is much lower than last year’s 6.5 percent hike. WRS’s Alex Helmick talks about the increase and how to find the best insurance rates with Zeynep Ersan Berdoz, editor in chief of consumer magazine Bon à Savoir:
Expert: 'Fed up' public supports single health insurer
Friday, 9 September, 2011
New figures measuring how people feel about the country’s health insurance system suggest there’s growing support for the idea of a single health insurer, rather than many individual companies. The idea is being championed by the Social Democrat Party, which is currently gathering signatures to push for a nationwide vote. But as recently as 2007, voters rejected a similar proposal. So how have things changed? WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Peter Zweifel from Zurich University. He is a specialist in health care economics:
Friday, 9 September, 2011
New figures measuring how people feel about the country’s health insurance system suggest there’s growing support for the idea of a single health insurer, rather than many individual companies. The idea is being championed by the Social Democrat Party, which is currently gathering signatures to push for a nationwide vote. But as recently as 2007, voters rejected a similar proposal. So how have things changed? WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Peter Zweifel from Zurich University. He is a specialist in health care economics:
Many seeing red over cuts to eye care
Thursday, 23 December, 2010
Since the year 2000, health insurance companies have had to reimburse a part of people’s new glasses and contact lenses every five years. But as of next year this will no longer apply. The Interior Ministry’s recent reform is meant to make the price of health care drop, but at this point, it’s angering a lot of people. WRS’s Lucas Chambers has this story:
Thursday, 23 December, 2010
Since the year 2000, health insurance companies have had to reimburse a part of people’s new glasses and contact lenses every five years. But as of next year this will no longer apply. The Interior Ministry’s recent reform is meant to make the price of health care drop, but at this point, it’s angering a lot of people. WRS’s Lucas Chambers has this story:
Are healthier (low-risk) clients pursued by health insurers?
Wednesday, 13 October, 2010
French-language news magazine l’Hebdo has been looking into the activities of brokers apparently paid by health insurance companies to seek out low-risk clients. The investigation was carried out by journalist Julie Zaugg. She spoke to Conor Lennon:
Wednesday, 13 October, 2010
French-language news magazine l’Hebdo has been looking into the activities of brokers apparently paid by health insurance companies to seek out low-risk clients. The investigation was carried out by journalist Julie Zaugg. She spoke to Conor Lennon:
Finding your way through health insurance maze
Monday, 4 October, 2010
Are you still smarting from the jump in health insurance premiums that swept Switzerland late last week? Residents in the canton of Nidwalden will get a whopping 10.3 percent hike while insurance for luckier Neuchâtel residents will jump by just over two percent. Since mandatory health insurance came into force in 1996, premiums have risen 116 percent. What can you do about it? You can shop around for the best deal from among over 80 insurance companies. We hear from Zeynep Ersan Berdoz, Editor-in-Chief of the online consumer magazine Bon à Savoir. We also have a report from WRS’s Jordan Davis—saying that momentum for a “single insurer” system is growing:
Monday, 4 October, 2010
Are you still smarting from the jump in health insurance premiums that swept Switzerland late last week? Residents in the canton of Nidwalden will get a whopping 10.3 percent hike while insurance for luckier Neuchâtel residents will jump by just over two percent. Since mandatory health insurance came into force in 1996, premiums have risen 116 percent. What can you do about it? You can shop around for the best deal from among over 80 insurance companies. We hear from Zeynep Ersan Berdoz, Editor-in-Chief of the online consumer magazine Bon à Savoir. We also have a report from WRS’s Jordan Davis—saying that momentum for a “single insurer” system is growing:
The rising price of health insurance
Friday, 30 July, 2010
Health insurance in Switzerland is getting ever more expensive. Some estimates expect premiums to go up ten percent at the beginning of next year and that has prompted a debate over transparency—people want to know exactly where that money is going. WRS’s Tony Ganzer reports.
Friday, 30 July, 2010
Health insurance in Switzerland is getting ever more expensive. Some estimates expect premiums to go up ten percent at the beginning of next year and that has prompted a debate over transparency—people want to know exactly where that money is going. WRS’s Tony Ganzer reports.
Health insurance premiums set to rise
Wednesday, 30 June, 2010
Wednesday, 30 June, 2010
Expensive is often a word that comes up often in Switzerland, and that word applies to health insurance as well. Over the weekend, estimates for 2011 premiums came out in the Sonntagsblick said to be leaked from a report by the Federal Office of Public Health. For the first time it looks like you’ll pay more if you live in Bern than in the Swiss Romand. The average monthly premium could rise to 452 francs. Bern would rank second among the most expensive districts, just behind Basel-City at 466 francs and ahead of Geneva at 440 francs. This means about a 10 percent rise for German-speaking cantons.
WRS’s Carla Drysdale asked Silvia Schuetz, spokesperson for Santesuisse, the association of health insurers, what the possible price jump in the German-speaking cantons was about.
Swiss approve new healthcare system
Thursday, 17 June, 2010
The National Council in Bern has approved a partial revision of the health insurance law. It still needs to be approved by the Council of States, but the proposed changes would include a managed care system. Essentially, patients would see their general practitioner then they would be referred to a specialist. Insurance companies and the federal government say this would reduce unnecessary doctor visits and encourage better collaboration among physicians. Alex Helmick talks to Dr. Jacques de Haller, president of the Swiss Medical Association:
Thursday, 17 June, 2010
The National Council in Bern has approved a partial revision of the health insurance law. It still needs to be approved by the Council of States, but the proposed changes would include a managed care system. Essentially, patients would see their general practitioner then they would be referred to a specialist. Insurance companies and the federal government say this would reduce unnecessary doctor visits and encourage better collaboration among physicians. Alex Helmick talks to Dr. Jacques de Haller, president of the Swiss Medical Association:
Health insurance premiums headed up, up, up
Thursday, 6 May, 2010
Health insurance premiums could increase 7 to 10 percent next year. That’s the forecast from Santésuisse, the organization representing the country’s insurers. It was first reported in the NZZ this morning. WRS’s Conor Lennon speaks to our reporter Jordan Davis who’s in Bern this afternoon following the story:
Thursday, 6 May, 2010
Health insurance premiums could increase 7 to 10 percent next year. That’s the forecast from Santésuisse, the organization representing the country’s insurers. It was first reported in the NZZ this morning. WRS’s Conor Lennon speaks to our reporter Jordan Davis who’s in Bern this afternoon following the story:
New health cards already making doctors sick
Tuesday, 9 March, 2010
They’ll be over a year late, doctors don’t trust them and so far they don’t even work. The new health cards we’re all supposed to receive next month are meant to meet European Union standards. They carry an electronic chip designed to hold a patient’s medical information, making it accessible to doctors with their own version of the card. But right now, tests on the two systems show they’re incompatible—and with only two months to go before the big launch, this has led to an unhealthy squabble. Lucas Chambers reports:
Tuesday, 9 March, 2010
They’ll be over a year late, doctors don’t trust them and so far they don’t even work. The new health cards we’re all supposed to receive next month are meant to meet European Union standards. They carry an electronic chip designed to hold a patient’s medical information, making it accessible to doctors with their own version of the card. But right now, tests on the two systems show they’re incompatible—and with only two months to go before the big launch, this has led to an unhealthy squabble. Lucas Chambers reports:
Abortion reimbursement under basic health coverage challenged
Wednesday, 3 February, 2010
Wednesday, 3 February, 2010
Currently in Switzerland, if a woman has an abortion, her basic health insurance will reimburse the costs. Last year, the cost to health insurance companies for some 11,000 abortions ranged between 15 and 20 million francs—an expense which the Federal Cabinet has said is perfectly justified.
But a newly launched initiative is challenging the practice. A committee composed of MPs of the Swiss People’s Party, Christian Democrats and the Federal Democratic Union says abortion is a private matter and that women should get supplemental insurance to cover the cost.
To bring us both sides of the debate, WRS’s Carla Drysdale called on MPs Oskar Freysinger of the Swiss People’s Party and Adèle Thorens Goumaz from the Green Party:
