Annual report

The Helsana Group is reporting a positive annual result of CHF 49 million for 2023. The premium volume increased to CHF 7.8 billion and the operating expense ratio was reduced to 7.7%. The equity base remains solid as usual at CHF 2.7 billion and all companies continue to fulfil the solvency requirements.

The 2023 financial year was more encouraging again and Helsana made a return to a positive result of CHF 49 million at Group level. An underwriting result of CHF –31.7 million was offset by investment performance of CHF 120.5 million. The premium volume was increased to a total of CHF 7.8 billion and the Helsana Group’s combined ratio decreased slightly to 100.4% (2022: 100.7%). A disciplined approach to costs enabled the operating expense ratio to be reduced significantly yet again, as in the previous year, reaching a figure of 7.7% for the reporting year.

The supplementary insurance business for individual customers remained encouragingly profitable with a combined ratio of 86.4%. We made a return to profitability in the corporate division, too, with a combined ratio of 98.9% after many years of hard work. The trend in the supplementary insurance business for daily sickness benefits was equally encouraging overall. The restructure efforts are bearing fruit in the form of a combined ratio of 99.9%, and continuing with this positive development will be key. In the accident insurance business, the combined ratio comes to 94.2%.

The cost trend in the basic insurance segment deteriorated significantly again with an inflation rate of 4.7% year-on-year. This high inflation translated into a combined ratio of 103.8%. The associated underwriting loss in basic insurance amounts to CHF –220 million. To ensure long-term solvency, premiums for 2023 had to be increased considerably. Although this increase was above the market average, the effect on our customers was cushioned somewhat thanks to a financial buffer in our fluctuation reserves. The investment income generated in the reporting year was once again utilised to strengthen our reserves and equity base and to consolidate Helsana’s position as a reliable healthcare partner in the long run.

Strong equity base and falling operating expenses

Investment performance in 2023 returned to positive territory, unlike in the previous year, and amounted to 5.9%. With an equity base of CHF 2.7 billion, Helsana will remain a financially strong and sustainably healthy company going forward. All its companies continue to meet the statutory solvency requirements. This puts Helsana in an ideal position to respond to any extraordinary developments in the future.

Looking ahead to 2024, Helsana has calculated relatively moderate premiums and has improved its premium position again as against the previous year – by a significant margin in some regions. Helsana will remain a financially strong company, a reliable healthcare partner and a secure employer that customers and employees alike can count on in the future.

What are we doing to counter rising costs?

To counter rising costs, we have further stepped up and automated our invoice control, forged ahead with overdue health policy reforms and expanded integrated care with a new alternative insurance model. What is more, we were able to reduce our operating expense ratio further to 7.7% in the reporting year.

Product developments in 2023

We successfully launched the alternative insurance model “BeneFit PLUS Flexmed” in 2023. This allows customers to choose between their GP and the telemedicine provider Medi24 as their first port of call in the event of illness. This gives them flexibility to choose the treatment path they wish to follow. The product also features various add-on services. The partnership with Betterdoc rounds off the new offering: Betterdoc helps people who have questions about ongoing treatment to find the right specialist or hospital prior to hospital admission or in cases involving complex medical issues.

We have made access to our myHelsana client portal much easier using face recognition, making the portal more user-friendly. Starting in autumn 2023, we introduced the following four new digital customer services:

• a German and French-language live chat allowing customers to find out about products and premiums
• an optimised service provider search function
• the Consent Management service, which allows customers to decide whether Helsana can use certain data for selected purposes
• an online appointment booking service allowing customers to make appointments for consultations

As the successor to COMPLETA EXTRA, we added the COMPLETA PLUS supplementary insurance product to our range in September. This means that clients with COMPLETA coverage can profit from additional insurance benefits when it comes to health promotion, complementary medicine, prevention and visual aids.

Health policy commitment

Helsana aims to play an active, data-driven role in shaping Switzerland’s healthcare system, making it a strong advocate of healthcare policy. The current development in costs and, as a result, premiums once again influenced ongoing health policy issues addressed by the federal government in Bern in 2023, for example:

The bill relating to uniform financing for outpatient and inpatient benefits (EFAS) was in the parliamentary process for 14 years. Parliament has now adopted the bill in the 2023 winter session.

The two popular initiatives – the cost brake initiative of the “Die Mitte” party and the 10 percent initiative of the Swiss Social Democratic Party (SP) – to limit costs/subsidise premiums for basic insurance respectively, were unsuccessful in the parliamentary chambers. Parliament has adopted indirect counter-proposals to both initiatives that will be voted on in 2024.