Preventive healthcare pays off

Preventive healthcare includes all measures intended to prevent illness or injury. It is closely linked with health promotion. The purpose of preventive healthcare is to boost health and improve quality of life.

What is preventive healthcare?

We are often asked what preventive healthcare is. The term is increasingly being used with regard to healthcare. Prevention comes from the Latin praeventus meaning to act in anticipation of, act sooner or more quickly than (something). Preventive healthcare aims to avoid illness and injury and reduce the risk of disease.

Which preventive healthcare measures are covered under basic insurance?

Basic insurance covers a whole range of measures designed for the early detection of illnesses, for example:

  • Newborn screening (testing for various illnesses, hip check)
  • Regular developmental checks for children
  • Gynaecological check-ups
  • Various vaccinations
  • Specific check-ups in case of increased family risk or from the age of 50 (e.g. colonoscopy, mammography)

You will find a detailed list of all benefits in the health insurance benefits ordinance.

Supplementary insurance plans cover additional benefits for preventive healthcare and health promotion, such as stop-smoking treatment, gym membership, check-ups and more.

Why is preventive healthcare needed in the health sector?

Health costs are constantly rising in Switzerland. There are many reasons for this. More and more expensive medical benefits are increasingly being used. Higher life expectancy also contributes to high health costs. This causes premiums to rise for insureds but also drives up government and cantonal expenditure.

Preventive healthcare and health promotion are measures that help keep health costs under control. They also help individuals stay fit and healthy and prevent disease.

Good to know: Every person in Switzerland makes an annual contribution to the Swiss health promotion foundation. This amount can be seen on your policy document. Stiftung Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz (Swiss health promotion foundation) is tasked by the Swiss government to encourage, coordinate and evaluate measures for the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases. Find out more at gesundheitsförderung.ch.

What does Sanitas do in the area of preventive healthcare?

Sanitas has a series of measures to support health promotion and preventive healthcare. You can find out more about fitness and prevention on our website.