Health insurance providers Avanex and Sansan will be out of the running as of 2017, with Avanex being integrated into major insurer Helsana, and Sansan becoming part of Progrès.
Like Progrès, Avanex and Sansan already belong to the Helsana Group. These insurance firms already include the Helsana logo in correspondence and rely entirely on Helsana’s distribution network. The supplementary health insurance and hospital insurance policies which they offer are already centrally managed by Helsana.
Progrès will remain an indepenent insurer for the time being, although its products have been sold under the Helsana logo since 2013.
In total, around 400,000 Swiss policyholders are affected by the melding of these insurance providers. Helsana has cited cost-saving measures as the reason behind the merger.
These mergers are in keeping with an increasing trend towards consolidation in the Swiss health insurance sector. moneyland.ch estimates that Swiss consumers will have only 40 independent health insurance companies to choose from in the near future. That number could decline even further over the long term.
What does the merger mean for the 400,000 policyholders?
Many policyholders chose Avanex because its relatively low premiums offered good value for money. These policyholders can now temporarily enjoy Helsana benefits while paying premiums well below Helsana’s standard premiums.
However, a fair number of Avanex policyholders are likely to switch to another health insurance provider at the beginning of the new insurance year. Helsana’s announcement of a premium hike averaging 3.7 percent will likely hasten the departure.
A health insurance premium comparison ahead of the new year is highly recommended, regardless of which insurance company you currently use.
More on this topic:
Helsana: About this insurer
Budget health insurers in Switzerland
Swiss health insurance comparison
Swiss supplemental health insurance
Swiss hospital insurance comparison
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