Helsana’s profits suffer
Switzerland's biggest health insurer, Helsana, reveals that final profits for last year dropped 27 per cent to SFr25 million ($14.5 million) as increased costs in the sector bit into its performance.
Over the same period the number of people insured by the company increased by 0.5 per cent to 1.5 million.
According to figures published on Wednesday, the group received 0.8 per cent more in premium income from its clients over 2000, coming in at SFr3.5 billion. Payouts increased by 8.8 per cent over the same period at SFr1.59 billion.
The company said in a statement that it was concerned about the trend towards ever-higher prices in the health sector. It added that the increase observed in the previous year, which surpassed all estimates, was most noticeably echoed in the results of health care insurance companies.
Helsana also noted that this marked increase in costs was also confirmed through the first few months of the current year.
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