Reasonable Health Care Insurance

Take out health insurance in Switzerland: An exhaustive guideline

Switzerland boasts a first-class health care system. It has well-educated physicians and an extended net of health centers and clinics. If you live or work in Switzerland, you have to take out health insurance and how many things can be expensive in this lovely city? These guidelines will help you find your way through the health and medical insurance system in Switzerland, specifying the tariff categories available and the requirements to be met in order to obtain the cover you require.

How does the Swiss health care system look like? While Switzerland has a universally applicable health care system, the state does require everyone to take out insurance. More than 60 state-approved non-profit insurance companies provide the statutory insurance defined by the state. The insurance premium varies depending on the insurance company, nature and place of domicile of the insuree.

In Switzerland, businesses do not benefit too much from their clients by providing insurance through the Federal Health Insurance Act. This system is designed to keep individual expenses reasonable and at the same time make them responsible for depositing funds into the system. The individual can select which supplier and which scheme he wants, but the Swiss schemes provide for relatively high contributions, which include a deductible and co-insurance.

Insured must settle the fixed excess before commencement of insurance. As a rule, each insurance policy also fixes an annually ceiling amount out of the bag. Irrespective of where your home is located, if you live or work in Switzerland, you are subject to health insurance. Whilst from a technical point of view you have up to three month to request health insurance on your return, the authorities actually want you to do so as soon as possible.

Even if you only work in Switzerland for less than three month, you need to take out Grundversicherung. Coming from an EU/EEA member state, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives you free entry to Swiss medical care. How much health insurance do I need and what is actually insured?

Health insurance is compulsory for all inhabitants of Switzerland. You are free to select which health insurance fund you want on the official lists of approved enterprises. If you are an official or foreign official who can apply for a waiver of cover in your own country, this is the only possible derogation. In Switzerland, the universal service is still quite comprehensive.

The insurance must include medical care for sickness, accident and maternity. House calls by physicians, registered or specialist staff are in most cases also insured. The insurance covers prescription benefits such as physical therapies, health care, ergotherapy, language therapies and dietary advice. As a rule, the health care system does not include the dental practitioner (dentist / dental hygienist / dental hygienist).

For how long can I be discovered by my health insurance? According to the requirements of the Federal Council, any person who intends to stay in the territory of Switzerland must be insured within three month of arriving in the State. An insurance contract is retroactive to the person's date of inception. Is there any penalty for non-insurance by health insurance?

When you miss the three-month period for taking out health insurance, the federal authorities will allocate you a scheme that may require higher premium than you want to do. What kind of health insurance should I select, whether personal or group? It is very common for individuals to look for a supplementary insurance that covers things that are not included in the base insurance - ambulatory benefits such as oral and maxillofacial treatments or orthopedic treatments.

Supplementary insurance is not compulsory and is not governed by state insurance rates - the rates are fixed by the supplier. If you are looking for additional insurance, you will come across the acronym VVG. That is the Insurance Contract Act, which is the basic legislation for insurance under civil liability. Swiss legislation, however, makes sure that you are well provided for even without personal insurance.

According to the federal regulations, every inhabitant has compulsory insurance. Perhaps you will come across the KVG (Health Insurance Act) acronym, which means Health Insurance Act - the act that governs services of health insurance. The Act makes sure that all suppliers provide equal health, motherhood, accident and emergency insurance.

Private persons have the option of choosing their insurance from one of over 60 insurance companies licensed by Switzerland. People in Switzerland do not pay as much for their health, even if they have not yet received cover. The World Health Organization says they are spending 10 euros. 8 percent of its GNP is spent on health care, while the United States is spending 17 percent.

A form of insurance cover is an HMO scheme where the Insured is obliged to attend a particular health care facility or group of facilities, with some exemptions. The HMO schemes have deducted interest on recurring payments in return for compliance with these site and physician limitations. There is a medical doctor working in a scheme for the insurance managed by HMO.

Either way, the policyholder promises to use the health system through these clusters when they have health issues. As a rule, the professional care is transferred by a patient in need of networking care. Due to the flexibility of our montly premium, individuals can get incentives to try a Flexcare insurance like the Telmed-modell.

If you do not call the helpline before entering, your insurance company may not take over your trip. Emergency cases, gynaecological and gestational consultations, inoculations, tooth operations and the care of infants under the ages of 6 are exempt from this requirement. There are particular rules for this kind of scheme, which includes a combined HMO scheme that allows the insured to opt for a telephone call or a particular health center outing.

What are the median costs of health insurance? Insurance premium can be expensive and each year businesses can raise their rates by a small percent. Costs depend on where you reside, your particulars, whether you have a home planning scheme or an individually tailored scheme, and which operator and tariff method you use.

Areas with the highest premium rates are Basel, Zurich and Geneva. Below are some samples of what it would take a 30-year-old who lives in Zurich for one health insurance policy per month: Assurabasic Cover - Default Plan279 Fr Atupribasic Cover - Default Plan325 Fr SwicaHMO Plan262 Fr Each case you get a therapy, you must pay:

There is no charge for hospitalisation for minors, young people in vocational formation and fully insured mothers. Must I select a general practitioner? Those with primary health insurance are free to select their own physician. Sometimes, according to your plans, your insurance policies may limit your options, especially if you have a lower priced one.

However, you can also call in a specialist without this transfer, provided they are insured. Already diagnosed diseases already included? Health care providers cannot refuse insurance due to pre-existing medical condition. Nor may they make any profit from fundamental schemes provided on a large basis. As a rule, these schemes are more expensive, but will also include more treatment.

Can I deduct health care costs from my CHFS? The insurance premium is deductable up to a certain amount. In order to ensure that you can recover your payment and expenditure, ask your insurance company for a certificate of taxation. What is the best way to register for health insurance?

They should request the insurance directly from the business of their choosing. We will accept all requests for primary insurance, with the provider deciding the costs of additional personal insurance schemes at its own option. There are three month to register for mandatory health care from your arrival in Switzerland, regardless of your legal status and your legal ancestry.

Every health insurance company should provide you with a health insurance map. You will receive it by mail as soon as you are accepted for a schedule. If you are an EU national, you are entitled to health care through your EHIC, but if you are a permanent or employed person, you must change to insurance in Switzerland.

What insurance should I select? There are some favorite health insurance companies in Switzerland that you might want to consider: For more information on the health insurance system in Switzerland, the Federal Office of Public Health is a good start. On this page you will find a list of accredited health insurance companies from which you can select.

They can also help you find out more about insurance policy and make comparisons: Switzerland, with its first-class health care, is a good place to start if you are considering moving abroad. These guidelines will help you browse through Switzerland's health insurance polices so that you get the health insurance you need when you're there.