Annual report

The Helsana Group is reporting an annual result of CHF 448 million for 2024. The premium volume increased to CHF 8.2 billion and the operating expense ratio decreased again, to 7.4%. We raised our equity to CHF 3.2 billion, once more emphasising what a solvent and reliable partner we are in the healthcare sector.

The 2024 reporting period was an encouraging one for the Helsana Group. It was a year in which Helsana again proved that it is a sustainably healthy company that our customers can rely on, as well as a secure and attractive employer.

Encouraging Group result

Reporting an annual result of CHF 448 million, the Helsana Group maintained its positive development in 2024. With a profit of CHF 140 million, the underwriting result also developed encouragingly, as did net investment income, at CHF 367 million. In 2024, the premium volume increased to a total of CHF 8.2 billion. The Helsana Group’s combined ratio improved once again, to 98.3% (previous year: 100.4%). A disciplined approach to costs enabled the operating expense ratio to be reduced – as in 2023 – coming in at 7.4% for the reporting year.

Positive development in supplementary insurance

The supplementary insurance business reported a combined ratio of 93.3% overall. The individual customer segment remained encouragingly profitable with a ratio of 90.7%. In the corporate division, too, the combined ratio of 97.4% maintained its positive development. This was supported in part by the performance of daily sickness benefits products, at 97.9%, as well as the sustained profitability of the accident insurance business, which reported a combined ratio of 95.1%.

Basic insurance result very encouraging

In basic insurance (OKP), our forward-looking premium policy has paid off, as we responded to rising healthcare costs two years ago now. Premium income almost covered both benefit costs and operating expenses during the reporting year. The combined ratio is 100.1%. This means that for 2025, our customers benefitted from a below-average increase in premiums compared with the rest of the market. This policy gained us 108,000 new customers in the period under review.

Countering rising costs

Just as last year, we once again reduced the Helsana Group’s operating expense ratio. It now stands at 7.4%. In addition, we continue to monitor benefits, are a committed advocate of important health policy reforms, and campaign for greater transparency in the pricing of medicines and medical products, for example.

Strong equity base

With equity of CHF 3.2 billion, the Helsana Group is a financially strong company and thus very well equipped to face what the future brings. All Group companies meet statutory solvency requirements. Net investment income at Group level came to CHF 367 million on the back of a performance of 7.23%. At 0.82 percentage points, this outperformance is once again very positive.

New products and services

The new BeneFit PLUS Flexmed alternative insurance model gives customers access to 1,400 Flexmed general practitioners and group practices. We have also integrated a digital healthcare solution into the product in the form of the Compassana health network’s symptom checker app. This medically certified app provides an initial assessment of the health problem using AI technology, and recommends what customers should do next.

New benefit components have been added to the PRIMEO supplementary insurance product. Examples included rooming-in (allowing a close relative to stay overnight at the hospital), household help and childcare. In addition, ADVOCARE PLUS/EXTRA legal expenses insurance can now be taken out independently of the TOP or COMPLETA products. A hospital support service has been added to the HOSPITAL Semi-Private/Private insurance product. This involves a specialist providing free, personal support with any questions that a patient may have before, during and after a hospital stay.

United and strengthened as an industry

On 14 August 2024, the Federal Council declared the industry agreement on agency operations to be generally binding. Where basic and supplementary insurance are concerned, the agreement prohibits cold calling to acquire customers and defines quality standards for agents, among other clauses. We apply this agreement rigorously.

In addition, in June 2024 Helsana and other major health insurers together announced the foundation of a new umbrella body for basic insurance. The new “prio.swiss” industry association will become operational in early 2025. This ends the present dual umbrella association system and will permit the health insurance industry’s interests to be represented more fully in the long term.

Key health policy reforms

Once again, Helsana engaged with and campaigned on key health policy issues in 2024. The following are particularly worthy of note:

• The Premium Relief Initiative and the Cost-Brake Initiative in June: the Swiss electorate rejected both initiatives, which is also the outcome Helsana had hoped for.
• The Federal Council decision on the TARMED tariff structure for outpatient medical services in June: TARMED, which has been in place since 2004, will finally be replaced by the new TARDOC individual benefit tariff structure and outpatient flat rates as of 1 January 2026.
• The referendum on the Uniform Financing Initiative in November: the electorate passed the bill, which eliminates numerous false incentives in the healthcare system, with 53.3%.

Embarking on a new strategy period

The turn of the year (2024/2025) marks the start of a new strategy period for the Helsana Group. As market leader, we will use our “Securing health for a lifetime” strategy to continue to focus on our core business and broaden our range of services to cover topics that are relevant to our customers. In particular, these include trying to conceive & pregnancy, mental health, living independently, saving for health issues and longevity.

Sustainable corporate management is important to Helsana, which is why it is now an explicit objective within our corporate strategy. We will be publishing the comprehensive sustainability report on the Helsana website at the end of May.