History

Sanitas health insurance is established as a foundation on 22 October 1958 in the tranquil town of Weinfelden in the canton of Thurgau. The founding fathers are representatives from the Swiss Pharmacy Association, the Swiss Farmers’ Union and the private insurance company Helvetia Unfall. Helvetia creates the legal foundations, the farmers make up the first customers, and the pharmacists raise the necessary capital.  

In 1960, two years after getting started, the company has a total of 1,000 customers with individual and group insurance and generates a premium volume of around CHF 100,000.

Although Sanitas records only slow growth at the beginning of the 1960s, it is apparently seen as a competitor by the Schweizerische Krankenkassen-Zeitung. In an article, the newspaper labels Sanitas a “pharmacists’ weapon” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Sanitas faces the criticism head on and doesn’t veer from its chosen path.

In 1965, Sanitas has just 2,224 customers with individual insurance. But things soon change. In the group health insurance sector, annual growth rates of between 50 and 100% are not uncommon. Sanitas publishes its first annual report three years later in 1968. At this point, 36 employees at offices in Zurich, Lausanne, Bern, Basel and Geneva are looking after 4,540 customers with individual insurance and 27,774 customers with group insurance.

However, the company still records a loss due to the extremely high cost of claims. Consequently, Kurt Wilhelm, a young managing director in his mid-20s, calls on everyone involved to “pull Sanitas out of the slump with energy and active cooperation”. Kurt Wilhelm leaves his mark on the company from 1966 to 2015 in his positions as managing director, director, chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the board of trustees. Today he is one of three honorary presidents of the Sanitas board of trustees.

In 1970 Sanitas has almost 44,000 customers. At over 80%, the vast majority of customers have group health insurance.

This changes with an event that poses an existential threat to Sanitas, but also paves the way for developments over the next 25 years. In 1973, Helvetia Unfall announces its plans to withdraw as a partner company. Up to now, the accident insurer has made up the largest share of Sanitas’ customers. Before withdrawing, Helvetia Unfall issues Sanitas with an ultimatum: The company wants exclusive rights as Sanitas’ sole sale partner, otherwise Helvetia Unfall will take its policyholders with it when it leaves.

Sanitas decides against the ultimatum in favour of continuing its cooperation with its other two sales partners. As a result Sanitas loses around half its customers and its customer base switches from a majority of insureds with group health insurance to insureds with private insurance. It takes until 1981 for Sanitas’ customer base to recover.

The 1980s are years of growth for Sanitas. The new strategy aims to further expand its sales partner network. By the end of 1982, Sanitas has 63,000 customers, with the majority of them now having individual insurance.  

By 1983, Sanitas has 11 partner companies selling its health insurance products. Sanitas is one of the 20 biggest health insurers in Switzerland. The same year, Sanitas celebrates its 25th anniversary with almost 100 employees .

In 1988 when Sanitas turns 30, the company makes it into the top 12 of over 400 health insurance companies in Switzerland with 120,000 customers.

The new Health Insurance Act (KVG/HIA) comes into force on 1 January 1996, just 12 months after the Swiss population approved the new health insurance act on 4 December 1994. The new law fundamentally changes the conditions for health insurance. For Sanitas, the new KVG act requires a comprehensive reorganisation. The company has to draw up new general terms of insurance and new insurance regulations.

Sanitas uses this opportunity to develop and bring to market additional insurance modules in addition to its basic insurance products. These are Sanitas’ first supplementary insurance plans.

The millennium changeover goes smoothly for Sanitas. At the start of 2000 Sanitas has reached a fine size, with around 400 employees looking after more than 400,000 customers. 

On 1 January 2004, Sanitas founds two joint-stock companies: One for its basic insurance (KVG/HIA) business and one for supplementary insurance (VVG/IPA). Both joint-stock companies remain in the ownership of the Sanitas health insurance foundation, which thus becomes the holding company.

From one minute to the next, Sanitas doubles in size and now employs around 800 people to look after 881,000 customers. This is the most customers that Sanitas has ever had.

In 2005, Sanitas launches its first image campaign with a view to professionalising its brand identity.

After 36 years at the head of the company, Kurt Wilhelm is replaced by Otto Bitterli in 2005. Just one year later, in March 2006, the new CEO pulls off a surprise coup: the merger of Sanitas and Wincare. Sanitas also takes over the individual insurance portfolio (HIP) of the former Winterthur Versicherungen. 

2008 is a time for celebration. Sanitas puts on a series of activities throughout the year to mark its 50^th anniversary. A highlight of the festivities is the “Tour de Sanitas” at BallyLab in Schönenwerd, where some 450 active and retired employees come together at the start of September to celebrate. In honour of its 50^th anniversary, Sanitas gets a visual makeover, with a new corporate design, simplified visuals and a new logo that is still in use today. 

In March 2009, Sanitas announces the acquisition of the majority of shares in Rickenmann & Partner AG. This takeover helps Sanitas strengthen its position in the attractive corporate business sector. Over the course of a year, Rickenmann & Partner AG is restructured, realigned and renamed Corporate Private Care AG. As of 1 January 2010, it heads up the entire corporate business of the Sanitas Group.

In April 2009, Sanitas completes the move into its new headquarters in Zurich, moving 400 metres closer to Zurich’s main railway station. In addition to the new building on Jägergasse 3, the head office also includes two modernised properties nearby at Lagerstrasse 47 and Militärstrasse 36.

Also in 2009, Kurt Wilhelm announces that he will be giving up his position as chairman of the Sanitas board of directors with effect April 2010. Former Swisscom boss Jens Adler is appointed to the Sanitas board of trustees and board of directors.

In August 2009, Sanitas launches Compact One, a new health insurance plan with no frills. The product is a resounding success, with over 43,000 customers opting for the new basic insurance model by the start of 2010.

2010 is all about the planned merger with Bern-based KPT. It all starts on 10 May 2010 with the announcement of the merger of Sanitas and KPT to form Switzerland’s third-largest health insurer. The new company would have a total of around 1.2 million customers. However, after the merger is announced, more and more questions arise about the implementation, which can’t be resolved. Sanitas withdraws from negotiations with KPT on 15 December 2010.

On 27 June 2011, Sanitas announces that the company is withdrawing from the Santésuisse association. In the years leading up to the withdrawal, Sanitas felt increasingly unrepresented by Santésuisse on important issues. In cooperation with Helsana and Groupe Mutuel, Sanitas founds the Allianz Schweizer Krankenversicherer (ASK). But it never really gets going.

At the end of August 2011, Sanitas and Allgemeine Wirtschaftsdienst Zug (known today as Swiss Life Select) together launch the “Health” insurance solution with the aim of bringing a little clarity to the complex world of health insurance. The Carefree “Health” package usually includes both basic and supplementary insurance plans. Over 10,000 Carefree packages are sold up to the end of 2011.

Also in 2011, Sanitas highlights the benefits of individual supplementary insurance plans with a creative illustration campaign. Here you can see the example of Easy, a low-cost supplementary insurance plan with no frills.

In terms of strategy, Sanitas makes important progress in 2012. On 31 May 2012, Sanitas and Swiss Life launch Swiss Life SimplyCare, another health insurance solution designed to make life easier for their customers. And it strengthens their existing sales partnership. To underline this closer cooperation with Swiss Life, Ivo Furrer, CEO of Swiss Life Switzerland, is appointed to the Sanitas board of trustees and the board of directors of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG on 19 June 2012.

As part of the new umbrella brand strategy, the award-winning mullet TV spot is created for the advertising campaign in 2012. The core values of the new umbrella brand strategy are: “A whole life long”, “Real choice”, and “Rapid access”. The spot playfully shows that people don’t often want the same thing their whole life. The campaign runs for three years.

Women are at the forefront of developments at the start of Sanitas’ 55^th anniversary year, with the Sanitas board of trustees electing two women − Nadine Balkanyi-Nordmann and Monika Walser − as new members of the board as of 1 March 2013. At the annual general meeting they are also appointed members of the board of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG.

In April 2013, CSS, Helsana and Sanitas found curafutura, an association of innovative health insurers. KPT also joins at the end of May 2013.

The new corporate strategy chooses to focus on new digital developments, and 2014 sees the successful launch and implementation of several digital projects. For example, Sanitas drives forward the development of its health programmes and launches the medicine check, a free service designed to avoid unwanted interactions if customers have to take several medicines at the same time.

For the sales team in particular, the introduction of a service to take out basic insurance directly online is an important milestone. Towards the end of 2014, the new Sanitas Portal app is launched. This app gives the 120,000 or so Sanitas Portal users access to their insurance affairs, premium or copayment at any time.

From a political perspective, 2014 is shaped by the referendum on whether to introduce a public health insurance scheme. Almost 62% of voters vote against the motion.

In 2015, Sanitas strengthens its focus on establishing a digital business model and developing concrete foundations for good corporate governance. Sanitas makes good progress with regard to its strategically important key figures, recording stable growth in the number of customers taking out supplementary insurance and generating an excellent result.

The focus on a digital business model is also reflected in this year’s advertising campaign, which highlights the digital benefits for Sanitas customers.

In 2015, Sanitas launches Accident Top Liberty and Accident Extra Liberty, two new accident insurance plans that offer excellent cover on the private or semiprivate ward in the event of an accident.

In 2015, English is also introduced as the fourth official customer language − for telephone customer contact and in correspondence and online customer communication. All texts on the Sanitas website, in the Sanitas Portal and in the Sanitas Portal app are now also available in English.

In 2016, the number of customers increases by over 18,500. In a nationwide survey on customer satisfaction, Sanitas comes out top among health insurers. Positive developments continue with the successful expansion of the Sanitas Portal app to include the electronic vaccination pass and the launch of the Psychological Balance health programme. In November 2016 the new health programme is even awarded the Swiss insurance innovation prize. It gives Sanitas customers with semiprivate or private supplementary insurance the opportunity to take part in free digital coaching sessions for anxiety, stress, sleep disorders or depressive moods.

The launch or further development of digital projects continues in 2017, including the launch of the new Sanitas Active app. This app allows customers to record their steps and distances swum or cycled in return for coins. The Sanitas Active app wins a bronze medal at the Best of Swiss Apps 2017.

The message “Time for new habits” dovetails perfectly with this period of further development and also with our understanding of health. Healthy habits help you adopt a healthy lifestyle. The Sanitas Active App helps make this a bit easier as it encourages customers to get more exercise in their daily routine.

2017 also sees a revamp of the Sanitas online channels in terms of their look, content and technology. Sanitas also expands its options for customer contact. As of 2017, customers are able to get in touch with Sanitas via the messenger in the Sanitas Portal app. In the Sanitas dialogue forum, customers also have the opportunity to say what they think about Sanitas’s new products and services.

In 2017, the independent think tank W.I.R.E publishes a video report on digitalisation, insurance and solidarity on behalf of the Sanitas foundation. The Sanitas foundation addresses important, socially relevant issues and engages in selected sponsorship projects to promote solidarity in a digital world.

The anniversary year 2018 is ushered in with the departure of CEO Max Schönholzer, who was only appointed in 2017. Otti Bitterli, previously CEO for many years and subsequently chairman of the board of directors, once again takes up the reins of the company. Three new members − Kaspar Trachsel, Elias Frühauf and Rolf Fischer − are appointed to the Sanitas executive board.

In 2018 Sanitas launches the Sanitas Medgate app, another free app which Sanitas customers can use to contact the Medgate telemedicine centre directly.

And customers can use the free Cover Check in the Sanitas Portal to find out in a few clicks whether, for example, acupuncture or particular medicines are covered by their health insurance plans.

Winning a bronze medal in the “Digital Performance Campaigns” category at the Best of Swiss Web awards in 2018 shows that Sanitas is clearly on the right track with regard to digitalisation. And it isn’t only with digitalisation that Sanitas is scoring high! In a kununu survey, Sanitas is voted a top employer, and the company makes the top spot in customer satisfaction surveys on bonus.ch and Comparis.

In 2018, Zurich-based agency Branders replaces Sanitas’s long-standing agency partner Leo Burnett and is commissioned to revise the company’s entire brand identity. Within the course of a year, Sanitas’ new and emotive corporate design that is intended to forge closer ties with customers is launched and its new “Together for your health” campaign gets started.

With a view to establishing new and strong partnerships, Sanitas launches its new Medbase MultiAccess basic insurance model in cooperation with Medbase.

Under the slogan “Working together for a healthy life”, the Sanitas and Medbase partnership also launches health offers for Sanitas customers.

In 2019, Sanitas launches the Sanitas Coach app in cooperation with Pathmate Technologies. The Sanitas Coach app is free of charge for all Sanitas customers and helps them keep an eye on their blood pressure and do something for their heart health.

As a supplement to the print version of the Sanitas customer magazine, Sanitas launches an online version in 2019.

This gives everyone access to more stories, more background information, more expertise, more videos and graphics on fascinating health topics.

In 2020 Sanitas also publishes the Health Forecast, the first Swiss publication to focus on the future of health. The Health Forecast includes over 90 stories drawn up in cooperation with over 60 experts and more than 30 journalists.