Health insurance in Switzerland for foreigners

How to get health insurance in Switzerland

How to get health insurance in Switzerland

There are two different types of health insurance in Switzerland. Compulsory basic insurance (obligatorische Grundversicherung) ensures you receive comprehensive basic medical care. Meanwhile, voluntary supplementary insurance (freiwillige Zusatzverischerung) enables you to enhance your basic cover to suit personal requirements. It is important to note this is not inclusive of dental treatment, which must be paid for separately.

People from foreign countries who are living or working in Switzerland will usually need Swiss health insurance once they are resident and have received a permit. There are a few exemptions, such as students who are temporarily resident in Switzerland and have comparable insurance from their home country. It is always important to check with the insurance agency.

In Switzerland, it is your responsibility to arrange your own state Swiss health insurance, and healthcare cannot be provided until they have applied for a Swiss residence permit, registered with the local municipality. The municipality will often pursue foreign nationals to provide proof of sufficient health insurance, so that the matter is taken seriously by the authorities. The official website of the Swiss Authorities allows you to check where your communal administration is.

European Health Insurance Card in Switzerland 

The Swiss healthcare system is a combination of public, subsidised private and fully private systems. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows you access to state-provided care at a reduced cost and will cover your treatment during your stay there. It will also cover treatment for giving birth – so long as your reason for being in the country is not for that purpose. 

If you need medical care, keep the paperwork of costs incurred, so that you can be reimbursed on your return to your home country. 

The EHIC does not cover private treatment. Any costs incurred for private healthcare is non-refundable. In most European countries, you can apply for or renew your EHIC online.

Health insurance in Switzerland for foreigners

EU citizens who are visiting for less than three months are eligible for state Swiss healthcare at a reduced cost through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you are commuting over the border from a neighbouring country, you have the option of insuring your healthcare needs in either country. 

If you consider your health insurance to be unsuitable and you wish to change Swiss health care insurance companies, you can do so by giving three months’ notice before the end of June or December, provided you’re on a package in which you are paying the standard CHF 300 tariff. Otherwise this can be changed at the end of the year with one month’s notice. 

The Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit) provides a full list of health insurers in Switzerland.

Is health insurance mandatory in Switzerland?

Health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland. Babies must be insured within three months of being born, for example. Adults who have moved into the country have 90 days in which to join a Swiss health insurance plan – or apply for an exemption. If you do not, then the local authority will assign one to you. This is not advisable because it may not be the one that is suited to your needs, and a premium may have to be paid.

The cost of a health insurance premium can be determined by area, so an average cost can be sought by canton. It is interesting to note that the most expensive canton, Basel-Stadt, is nearly 60 per cent more expensive than the cheapest. 

In Switzerland, schemes are designed to cover individuals, not families, so separate insurance plans should be sought for each member of the household. You are usually charged a monthly premium fee, and this figure varies.

It is not unusual for fees to vary year on year. This is because insurance fees are reviewed according to different factors, for example company debt, healthcare costs and so on. Some premiums have risen 15-20 per cent year on year. In 2017, there were substantial hikes to health insurance costs.

Children up to the age of 18 do not need to be with the same company as their parents and are given price reductions. However, once a child turns 18, they are responsible for their own health insurance and the local authority will usually send a letter before their birthday in their eighteenth year. If parents have not paid past insurance for the child, at 18-years-old, the child will become liable for the total bill. Some children have been presented with hefty bills, so it is best to ensure this does not occur.

The government has compiled a full list of fees.

On top of paying premiums, you will need to pay a minimum of CHF 300 of your medical expenses each year (for 18 and over). Insurance will provide cover for the excess. In addition to this, you will need to pay ten per cent of healthcare charges, which is capped at CHF 700, or CHF 350 for children.

Pregnancy, birth and post-natal care are exempt from excess charges in Switzerland.