Healthy lifestyle to be rewarded
People who live healthy lives should pay fewer premiums: According to a survey, almost 80% of the Swiss agree with this statement.
Health tariffs are still hotly disputed in society, but more and more people think it is right for a healthy lifestyle to be recognized financially. For example, 79 percent of the Swiss believe that their health insurer should reward them with a reduced rate or bonus if they live healthily and keep fit. And as many as 45 percent of those surveyed are willing to give their insurer access to relevant health data via a wristband or fitness app; among those under 34, the figure is even more than one in two.
These are the key findings of an online survey conducted by the global brand consulting firm Prophet on the topic of "Individual health tariffs: Should health insurers financially reward a healthy lifestyle?", for which a representative survey of 250 adults in Switzerland was conducted in July of this year.
Data security central
However, it is crucial for the willingness to hand over information that health insurers handle personal health data responsibly. This is because a clear 62 percent of the Swiss have major concerns that they could suffer disadvantages as a result of the disclosure or that the data could fall into the wrong hands.
More than three quarters of those surveyed therefore advocate that it should be their family doctor, not an app, who should confirm a healthy lifestyle to their health insurer. On the other hand, 63 percent of the Swiss no longer want their premiums to support the unhealthy lifestyles of smokers or obese people and believe that those who do not take care of their health should also pay more.
"More and more Swiss are living healthy and conscious lives. Because they thus incur fewer health costs, they hope to receive a financial reward for their lifestyle from their health insurer," says Zurich-based Prophet partner Jan Döring, assessing the results of the survey.
However, health tariffs offered by health insurers are still controversial in society. "If an insurance company were to venture forward with a bonus system, it would have to be absolutely transparent, explain how it proceeds, what happens to personal data and how it intends to prevent misuse," says Döring.
Source: Press Portal/Prophet
