Swiss insurance boss proposes Singapore-style healthcare system

Andreas Schönenberger, CEO of Swiss health insurer Sanitas, told the Tamedia media group that the health system should be reformed to emphasise the individual responsibility of policyholders. He argues that healthcare costs could be reduced if Switzerland were to follow the Singapore model. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In Singapore's system, each individual saves for his or her own medical expenses, and the insurance company intervenes only for costly interventions. This would reduce costs and create greater transparency, says the head of Sanitas in an interview published on Saturday by the German-language newspapers of the Tamedia media group. For socially disadvantaged groups, Schönenberger proposes state participation in the form of a public fund, as is the case in Singapore. He also proposes discounts on supplementary insurance for policyholders with a healthy lifestyle. This measure is not allowed in basic insurance, he points out. “People who ...