santésuisse

What is santésuisse?

santésuisse is a name you often come across in the Swiss healthcare system: in media reports on premiums, on tariff agreements, in statistics on healthcare costs or in the training of health insurance specialists. For a long time, santésuisse was the industry association of Swiss health insurers. It represented the insurers vis-à-vis politicians, authorities and service providers, negotiated tariffs and operated important industry systems through subsidiaries.

Alongside santésuisse, there was a second association, curafutura. The health insurers were therefore divided between two associations, which often took different positions. That has changed: since 06.01.2025, there has been a joint association, prio.swiss, based in Bern. It has taken over the industry’s political advocacy and is responsible for negotiating, maintaining and developing the tariff structures of basic health insurance. At its launch, prio.swiss brought together 10 health insurers representing around 90% of insured persons in basic health insurance.

santésuisse has not disappeared as a result. According to prio.swiss, santésuisse continues to operate as a service company for the industry, with a focus on training and services. Since July 2026, all companies of the former santésuisse group have traded under the joint name santéservices. According to santéservices, these include SASIS AG, SVK, the former tarifsuisse ag and santésuisse itself. The head office is in Solothurn.

For you as an insured person, santésuisse is not a point of contact. The association does not sell insurance and does not decide on your benefits. That is always done by your health insurer.

How it works

Today, the work of the santésuisse group can be divided into four areas, as santéservices itself describes them:

• Industry systems: registers and electronic solutions used by all health insurers. These include the register of service providers (ZSR), through which doctors’ practices and therapists receive a billing number, and the VeKa Center for the health insurance card.
• Tariffs and benefits: purchasing services from hospitals and other service providers on behalf of health insurers, and benefits management, such as checking cost-effectiveness.
• Special services: handling complex areas of benefits for the insurers, such as dialysis, artificial nutrition or transplants.
• Training: basic and higher vocational education and training for employees of health insurers, up to the federal professional examination.

These services are usually invisible to you. You come across them, for example, in the ZSR number on a doctor’s bill or with your health insurance card.

Legal basis

santésuisse and prio.swiss are private associations or companies. No law establishes them. However, the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) and supervisory law give associations of insurers important tasks:

• Tariff agreements: under Art. 46 para. 1 KVG, the parties to a tariff agreement on the insurers’ side can be individual insurers or their associations. If an association is a party to the agreement, the agreement only applies to a member if it has joined (Art. 46 para. 2 KVG).
• Industry agreement: Art. 19b of the Health Insurance Supervision Act (KVAG) allows health insurers to conclude an agreement on telephone advertising, call centres, cold calling, the training and remuneration of intermediaries, and records of advice. If the participating insurers represent at least 66% of insured persons, the Federal Council can declare parts of it generally binding.
• General applicability: the Federal Council has done so. Art. 35b of the Health Insurance Supervision Ordinance (KVAV) declares the rules of the industry agreement between santésuisse and curafutura of 22.03.2024 on the quality of advice and the remuneration of intermediaries binding on all insurers. Annex 2 KVAV contains the wording.

Example: the cap for intermediaries

The industry agreement of santésuisse and curafutura still has a direct effect on the market today. An example: Sofia, 28, switches basic health insurance with effect from 01.01.2027 and gets advice from an insurance intermediary.

What this means for you

• Choose the right point of contact. You clarify questions about your insurance, bills or benefits with your health insurer. In the event of a dispute, the Office of the health insurance ombudsperson can help, not santésuisse or prio.swiss.
• Put statements into context. When santésuisse, santéservices or prio.swiss comment on premiums or costs, they speak for the health insurers. That is a position based on their interests, not an official figure. Official premiums are published by the FOPH (Federal Office of Public Health); you can find them in the premium calculator.
• Compare insurers yourself. Which association an insurer belongs to makes no difference to the statutory benefits. Compare premiums, models and service; you will find the profiles under Health insurers.
• Report unwanted calls. The industry agreement prohibits cold calling by telephone. If you still receive advertising calls, note the date, number and company.

If you want to switch for next year, you will find deadlines and the process under Switching.

Common mistakes

• Thinking santésuisse is an authority. santésuisse is a private association of health insurers, not a supervisory body. Basic health insurance is supervised by the FOPH.
• Believing santésuisse no longer exists. prio.swiss has taken over the political role; the services continue, under the name santéservices since July 2026.
• Reading association figures as official figures. Figures from associations have a source that you should check.

We explain which sources we use under How we calculate.