The tech-driven future of health insurance: prevention as a strategic imperative

Disruptive forces are challenging long-standing insurance business models as accelerating claims costs, demographic pressures, and the unsustainable rise of chronic disease place unprecedented strain on the core principle of insurance: solidarity. 

At the same time, rapid technological advances in real-world data, lab-grade smartphone capabilities and AI-driven predictive power are transforming the role of the insurer. Today, prevention is no longer an aspiration for insurers — it has become an operational imperative. For insurers seeking to contain medical loss ratios, differentiate in competitive markets, and manage risk more sustainably, prevention must now stand as a strategic priority. 

Momentum is building further as stakeholder expectations continue to evolve. Today’s customers expect proactive, personalised support and exceptional user experiences, while regulators incentivise better health outcomes at the population level through value-based finance and payment models. True transformation, however, cannot happen within the boundaries of single organisations. Meaningful prevention demands interconnected ecosystems that bring together insurers, providers, patients, and technology partners. 

In this conversation with Christian Moser, Chief of Digital Experience at Zühlke, Patrick Griss, Co-Founder and CEO of Zühlke Ventures, shares his expert view on the future of insurance – and explains why modern risk management starts with health management. 

Patrick, prevention has become a buzzword in healthtech and insurance innovation. But from your experience, why is it such a difficult challenge to tackle? 

Because it’s far more complex than most people assume. Everyone agrees that prevention is important, but when you look at both insurers and health innovators, you quickly see how overwhelming the systems challenge is. Most insurers today are still consumed with keeping their core businesses running, from large-scale IT transformations and system integrations to regulatory frameworks. That leaves little headspace for reimagining prevention at scale. 

And yet, the need is enormous. Chronic diseases and neurodegenerative conditions represent the majority of long-term healthcare costs. For example, the cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients is staggering. Insurers would gladly pay for preventive interventions, but the reality is they’re structurally constrained and often uncertain how to operationalise prevention. 

That brings us to the core: what would it actually take to move prevention from theory to practice for health insurers? 

We need to expand the idea of prevention beyond simply 'changing people’s behaviour.' Yes, lifestyle plays an important role, of course, but we can’t place all our bets there. Based on my work, I see a three-pronged prevention approach emerging with these three elements forming what I call a new prevention playbook. 

That’s a fascinating shift from prevention as behaviour change to prevention as a system of detection, intervention, and response. But the big question is: how does this fit into the health insurance model, which is built on solidarity and risk pooling? 

Exactly. Insurance is based on solidarity: everyone contributes to a common pot, and those who fall ill are supported. That principle must remain a cornerstone. But prevention allows us to refine how we deal with risk.

Early detection and tailored interventions don’t eliminate risk, but they allow insurers to manage it more intelligently and more humanely. Instead of excluding so-called 'bad risks,' which would undermine solidarity, we catch issues earlier, treat them more effectively, and ultimately lower long-term costs. 

The challenge, and the opportunity, is to balance this shift without eroding trust. Done right, prevention strengthens solidarity by keeping more people healthier for longer. 

From your perspective, what role can technology and partners like Zühlke play in making this vision a reality? 

Technology is central, but insurers can’t solve this alone. We need three things:  

• Ecosystem orchestration: Bringing insurers together with scale-ups and HealthTech innovators who are developing detection tools, responder tests, and novel interventions.
• Strategic consulting: Defining what ‘good’ looks like for these three categories of products: what level of sensitivity a detector must have, how adherence can be improved, and how to build a business case for responder testing.
• Integration into legacy systems: This is where tech consultancies like Zühlke are vital. How can systemic limitations be removed and prevention be operationalised? Without help, bridging this gap, most innovations remain ideas on paper. 

So, the opportunity is not just technology implementation, it’s shaping the market together.

That’s powerful. If insurers want to act, where should they start? 

First, we need to acknowledge that this urgent transformation is a business opportunity. Rising healthcare costs are putting increasing pressure on the solidarity principle itself and at some point, and at some point, the system becomes unsustainable if nothing changes. 

Second, insurers should start with pilots. Choose one promising prevention model, test it, measure it, learn from it. Prevention at scale won’t happen overnight, but the first cracks in the old model will open opportunities. 

Finally, they need to build alliances. No single insurer, scale-up, or regulator can do this alone. Prevention requires collaboration across the ecosystem. 

If you look ahead, what’s your vision of health insurance in 10 years? 

We’ll see insurers with entirely new operating models emerge — much like the rise of neobanks in finance. They’ll interact with customers differently, with prevention built in from the start. Traditional insurers may struggle to adapt bimodally, but those who do will stay relevant. 

And most importantly: prevention won’t just be about reducing costs. It will mean better outcomes, more empowered customers, healthier societies, and a more sustainable insurance model overall. That’s a future worth building. 

At Zühlke, we believe prevention is not a side project, it’s a strategic imperative for insurers. By combining ecosystem orchestration, seamless technology integration, and business model innovation, insurers can move from 'talking prevention' to actually delivering it. 

The preventive playbook Patrick describes offers a clear and actionable framework built on intervention, responder testing. The next step is courage: piloting new approaches, challenging entrenched legacy systems, and reshaping the industry’s future together.