The digitization of social insurance is progressing. The coordination of the numerous IT systems poses certain challenges. Often, the legal basis must also be adapted. The FSIO provides an overview.

The Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) is driving forward the digitization of the first pillar and family allowances with several projects. The Central Compensation Office plays a key role in this, as Leila Lamti reports in the current issue of «Soziale Sicherheit CHSS».

A digital transformation and innovation strategy is indispensable

Lamti emphasizes that a digital transformation and innovation strategy (DTI) is indispensable today for public administrations and thus also for social insurance schemes. As a regulatory and supervisory body, the FSIO must ensure, among other things, that the system is effective and efficient and that it meets the expectations of insured persons and third parties, such as companies, the medical profession and disability insurance medical professionals, regarding digital services. The FSIO is developing the digital services in close cooperation with the Central Compensation Office (CCO) and the implementing agencies.

Four requirements underpin the digital transformation

1. The exchange of information with insured people and third parties preferably takes place via digital channels. The type of communication (language, format, channel) is based on the individual needs, requirements and knowledge of the people and organizations with whom a business relationship exists.
2. Business processes are being optimized as part of digitization projects to ensure that social security benefits are processed as simply and reliably as possible.
3. The costs of providing digital services are financed from public funds and by the AHV contributors (contribution payments for the administrative costs of the compensation offices). The services are to be efficient and as economical as possible. Cost transparency must be guaranteed.
4. The protection of personal information and the integrity of the processed data is central.

Digitization strategy based on several projects

Several projects were launched to implement the digitization strategy - with the aim of expanding the national information systems for the first pillar and family allowances and meeting the needs of insured persons and third parties.

Cantonal online platforms for processing disability insurance (IV) invoices have already been implemented: In addition to paper forms, IV insured people can now use cantonal access portals to submit their reimbursement claims for individual benefits (hearing aids, travel expenses, etc.). With the online portals, reimbursement deadlines have been shortened from two months to one week. In addition, the administrative workload of the IV offices and the ZAS, which is responsible for the payments, has been reduced.

Also in the pipeline is a digital platform for exchange between the IV offices and the treating physicians. This should improve communication and speed up the processing of dossiers.

Insured people and employers exchange information with the compensation offices for the settlement of benefits in the compensation for loss of earnings (EO). As part of the ongoing digitalization project, insured people and employers will in future be offered an online solution with digital identification (E-ID). They will be able to use it to obtain information and exchange information with the offices responsible for compensation for loss of earnings. This will eliminate the need for paper exchanges between the parties involved. The electronic exchange is intended to increase processing quality and reduce both costs and processing times.

In the area of AHV contributions, insured people are to be given a better overview of the contributions paid in. The Mosar project provides online access to statements from individual accounts.

Electronic social security platform enables interaction

Another example is the project for an electronic social insurance platform. Via a future «online social insurance platform», insured people and third parties will be able to interact with all first-pillar social insurance schemes and the funds responsible for family allowances using a unique digital identity. Thanks to the E-ID, all the digital services of the individual implementing agencies that are available or under development will be united under one roof in the future. The system will automatically forward the application to the responsible implementing agency, which will process it and handle exchanges with insured people and third parties. With funding from the cooperation organization «Digital Administration Switzerland», which is supported by the federal government and the cantons, it has already been possible to develop a prototype for the exchange between the central portal and the portal of the compensation offices.

Legal bases are adapted

To meet the various requirements of these digitization projects, the legal foundations governing digital communication in first-pillar social insurance and family allowances are being adapted. The adjustments are the subject of a revision of the law.