As a developed country, Switzerland boasts of the best in terms of healthcare infrastructure for its citizens. However, like almost everything else in the country, it is quite expensive and almost unaffordable if not planned properly.
It is similar to the healthcare of other developed countries, though the difference is that it is funded not by government subsidies, but through individual insurance. The Swiss are big on insurance, and almost everything can be insured. It all starts with health insurance, which is mandatory according to the Swiss Federal Healthcare Act. All residents, permanent and temporary, must avail of basic insurance from one of the government-approved insurers without fail. In case you don’t sign up for one, you will be automatically assigned one, and it may be unaffordable for you, for services you probably don’t even require.
The government is responsible for regulating the insurance providers so that the premiums are reasonable and provides a fair ecosystem for all the stakeholders. The health insurance fund is an organization that provides basic health insurance under the compulsory health insurance system and is a non-profit organization that has been recognized by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
The compulsory basic insurance can be availed from any of the more than 50 insurance funds operating in Switzerland. You must sign up for insurance within three months of entering the country, and the insurance company will reimburse your medical bills retrospectively from the date of entry. After the designated time, you will not only be paying surcharge but also the expenses that you have incurred will not be reimbursed.
This is why it is advisable that you plan for insurance before you enter the country. There are a few things you must remember as you start a health insurance comparison in Switzerland:
What does basic health insurance cover?
Compulsory health insurance usually covers almost every physician’s treatment. If there are any treatments that are outside the scope of your insurance, the physician will inform you. When making a health insurance comparison, you must remember that services which the physician prescribes for your treatment such as physiotherapy, nursing care – at home or in a nursing home, diabetes management are all covered by the basic insurance. If he prescribes x-rays or any other analyses, they are also covered by the insurance.
Supplementary Insurance
Citizens can choose supplementary insurance after a careful health insurance comparison to cover any additional requirements they may have. This includes premium care, private hospital stay, and a vast range of healthcare services not covered by basic insurance.
A complete Health Insurance Comparison online
Before you start a health insurance comparison, bear in mind that all insurance providers offer the same benefits. The difference is only in the quality of healthcare different companies offer. During health insurance comparison for basic insurance, you should check the reimbursement methods that different providers offer.
Compare Premiums
The FOPH publishes a comprehensive overview of premiums every year to provide all the information necessary for a health insurance comparison. It is divided according to the year, canton, EU countries, and even Iceland and Norway. You can browse the publication online or download it from the FOPH website.
Check Notice Periods
Different health insurance policies have different rules for notice periods. Some require three months’ notice, while some can only be changed after a year. So, make sure you read up on this as you perform a health insurance comparison online.
Select supplementary insurance carefully
Your health insurance comparison should aim to cover all the other requirements which are not covered by basic insurance. This type of insurance differs from provider to provider, so it is a good idea to start with your list of requirements and then choose the best solution.
Especially, while doing a health insurance comparison, check out all the terms and conditions for each policy before choosing. Since supplementary insurance schemes are according to the providers’ discretion, make sure you are aware of all the aspects.
Where to check
The Federal Office of Public Health routinely publishes the relevant information to enable you to make the best health insurance comparison. From a list of approved health insurers to an overview of premiums, you can leverage all the data from their website.
They also provide the complete list of HMO centers and GP network areas which are crucial to help you choose your preferred healthcare insurance provider.
CONCLUSION
Other than government websites, there are many private health insurance comparison websites [For french version -> https://www.compartarifassurance.ch/] that provide a wide range of tools to check your requirements and choose the best solution. Moreover, the government agencies focus mainly on the data, whereas with private health insurance comparison websites, you can also check additional information such as customer satisfaction measured in terms of responsiveness, flexibility, and also other factors that go into a seamless health insurance experience.
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