SWICA Talks: in-depth discussion

SWICA Talks is a podcast in German that offers internal and external guests a platform for lively discussions of current social, medical and political issues relating to the Swiss healthcare system. With Nadja Zimmermann and Stephan Lendi.

Mental health: challenges and help for young people

Stress and pressure to perform, social media, gender roles and the transition from school to work or from adolescence to adulthood: all are factors affecting the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Host Nadja Zimmermann talks to Michelle Signer, psychologist at santé24, and Anna Lea Winzeler, psychologist at Workmed, about the reasons and warning signs, and where parents, children and young people can find help.

Hanging onto the unnecessary versus feeling secure: why we struggle to let go of things

At the end of the year, many of us feel the urge to have a good clear-out. This process of cleansing the body and soul is a form of mental hygiene. In this episode, Lara Stäubli, who works for santé24 as a psychologist and psychotherapist, talks with film director Thomas Haemmerli about what happens when people aren't able to let go of things, and feel compelled to hoard. This episode includes a lively discussion of whether the cause can be traced back to childhood.

More episodes

When a loved one gets chronically ill, family members often reach their limits. In this episode, Carolin Oder, mother of a son living with the Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and Lorena Glisenti, psychotherapist at santé24, discuss guilt, shame and the emotional strain of everyday caregiving. Listeners will also gain practical advice on how family caregivers can find relief.

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Health insurance premiums rose again in 2025, and that hurts your wallet. In this episode, Andreas Koller, Head of the Product Management & Underwriting department, and Daniel Rochat, Head of the Services & Medicine department, talk to SWICA delegate Thomas Friedlin about why premiums have been rising for decades, how they are calculated, and who is involved in the process.

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In Switzerland, around 6600 women and 60 men develop breast cancer every year. If the cancer is detected early, treatment is easier and the chances of recovery are higher. In this episode, Birgit Schmid, Head of Psychology at SWICA, and Dr med. Eliane Sarasin Ricklin, specialist in gynaecology and sexual medicine at Swiss Breast Care, Privatklinik Bethanien, discuss this complex topic.

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If you're planning to travel, you need to start thinking well in advance about medicines, your first aid kit and any vaccinations you may need. Am I allowed to fly with crutches and how will I deal with heatstroke, animal bites or ear infections while on holiday? Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at santé24 and Daniel Kreyenbühl, pharmacist at santé24, provide some practical tips for carefree holidays.

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In this episode, moderator Stephan Lendi talks to Dr Werner Kübler, the newly appointed Chairman of SWICA’s Board of Directors, and Dr Fridolin Marty from economiesuisse about the fundamental changes in the Swiss healthcare system. They take a closer look at the current state of the healthcare system and possible reform pathways.

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The establishment of prio.swiss marks a turning point for the Swiss health insurance industry. In this episode, we talk to Ann-Karin Wicki, Head of Public Affairs and Saskia Schenker, Director of prio.swiss, about the background, challenges and opportunities.

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This episode examines the new industry agreement on intermediaries (BVV 3), which came into effect in September 2024 and aims to strengthen legal certainty and transparency in the health insurance sector. Guests include Joy Müller, SWICA’s Head of Department Market, Benjamin Marti, SWICA’s Chief Compliance Officer, and Ombudsperson Susanne Müller Ineichen.

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Almost 1.3 million people in Switzerland have severe hearing loss, and up to 30'000 have been deaf since birth. Their first language is sign language, but this lacks legal recognition. In the latest episode of SWICA Talks, we chat to Fernanda Hintz and Ben Jud from the Swiss Federation of the Deaf (Schweizerische Gehörlosenbund (SGB-FSS)) about how deaf people cope with day-to-day challenges in a world designed for hearing people and the topics they are passionate about (video in German).

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We all want to live longer, and more and more of us now do. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, a specialist in general internal medicine with a focus on geriatrics, and Erich Scheibli, care manager for private customers at SWICA, discuss how to age healthily and how this is changing our lives.

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The festive season can take its toll on your gut and your sense of wellbeing: As the year draws to a close, Alice Baldinger, psychologist, Kim Zwygart, exercise specialist, and Ellen Weber, nutritionist at santé24 discuss simple tips and tricks to help us eat more healthily, get enough exercise and look after ourselves during this period.

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In many occupations, the boundaries between work and leisure time are becoming increasingly blurred. Are more flexible working hours the answer, or can they add to stress and burnout? In the latest episode of SWICA Talks, Jennifer Heise, a specialist in occupational health and safety at the Swico association, and Lars Stiffler, Head of Care Management – Corporate Clients at SWICA, discuss mental health in the workplace and the importance of being alert to this issue.

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In Switzerland, the way in which healthcare costs are split currently depends on whether the treatment is provided as an inpatient or outpatient service. The EFAS (uniform financing of inpatient and outpatient treatment) reform is designed to make this a thing of the past: under the proposal, funding for all health insurance services – whether inpatient, outpatient or in the care sector – will be split in the same way between the cantons and the insurers. In the latest episode of SWICA Talks, VPOD Secretary General Natascha Wey and Daniel Rochat, Head of the Department of Benefits & Medicine, discuss the pros and cons of uniform financing of inpatient and outpatient treatment (EFAS).

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With an average of twelve hospitals per canton, Switzerland has a far greater density of hospitals than other countries. Many of them are struggling financially. National Council member and certified nurse Patrick Hässig (Green Liberal Party) hopes his motion will ensure that hospital planning is carried out jointly by central government and the cantons. In the fifth episode of SWICA Talks, he discusses the challenges, difficulties and opportunities arising in a decentralised federalist country with Kathrin Huber, General Secretary of the Swiss Conference of the Cantonal Ministers of Public Health (GDK).

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Summer, sun, sand and sea – and suddenly you have a medical emergency. What now? Marlen Krakowitzer, Deputy Head of Medical Assistance at the Medicall emergency call centre and Dr Nadine Nieuwkamp, Head of Flight Physicians at Rega, give us an insight into their typical work day in the fourth episode of our podcast series.

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What are the long-term effects of Covid-19? In the third podcast of the series, we talk to Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at santé24, and SWICA customer Maya Henzi about the illness and its consequences. We also consider whether our society is taking the problem seriously enough and providing the necessary support.

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Why is it so difficult to pursue a constructive, reform-oriented health policy? In the first episode, Chairman of the Board of Directors Carlo Conti and former National Councillor and health policy expert Ruth Humbel take a look at the past and present situation.

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What do younger generations expect from the Swiss health system? Is digitalisation a magic bullet, or will we still primarily need people to take care of our health in the future? In the second episode, CEO Reto Dahinden and Co-President of the Young Swiss Green Liberals Party Maya Tharian discuss the future.

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