Health insurance companies should continue to be able to use premiums for advertising

As the parliamentary services announced on Tuesday, the Council of States' Social Security and Health Committee (SGK-S) believes that advertising is also necessary in a system of regulated competition and offers added value. The committee also emphasizes that advertising costs would only amount to around 0.2 percent of premiums.

By 7 votes to 4 with one abstention, the Council of States Committee rejected the decision of the National Council's sister committee to follow up on a parliamentary initiative. It was put forward by former National Councillor Baptiste Hurni (SP/NE), who wants to prevent the use of premium money for health insurance advertising.

Following the decision of the SGK-S, the proposal will now return to the responsible National Council committee. The National Council's Social Security and Health Committee (SGK-N) approved it by a wafer-thin margin in February. The decision was made with 12 votes to 12 and a casting vote by committee president Barbara Gysi (SP/SG).

In February, the majority of the SGK-N pointed out that basic insurance is compulsory and that advertising serves neither prevention nor health promotion and therefore brings no added value. Therefore, the corresponding expenditure should not be financed by premiums. The current practice is "no longer acceptable" in view of the continuous rise in premiums.

Today, advertising for compulsory health insurance can also be booked by insurers as an administrative expense and is therefore financed via the premiums of the insured persons. In 2022, these advertising costs amounted to just under CHF 73 million, as the SGK-N wrote at the beginning of the year. (SDA)