Healthcare in Switzerland

Hi Julien
Healthcare insurance is compulsory once you have been here 3 months, there are a few exceptions.  Look at

bag.admin.ch/themen/krankenversicherung/00263/00264/index.html?lang=en

For prices check comparis.ch

Health insurance comes in two parts.
First, a mandatory part which you have to take. You have to show proof of mandatory insurance within 3 months after registering in the town where you live. It is offered by many companies (compare prices at www.comparis.ch). You are free to choose any company you like. All companies must accept any patient. Coverage is exactly equal for each company (requirement by law) but prices and service levels vary highly. Some companies offer reduced rates if you comply with some additional conditions, like always visiting your GP before going to a hospital.
Per person, there is a franchise of minimum 300 CHF per year: the first 300 CHF of health costs you have to pay yourself. You can opt for a higher franchise and pay less for the insurance. For the next 7,000 CHF, the insurance will pay 90%, you pay 10%. Once you're over 7,000 CHF, the insurance will pay 100%.

Apart from mandatory insurance, there are some optional additional insurances. They vary greatly and it really depends on what you prefer or require. Conditions vary greatly, too, and insurance companies are not obliged to accept you for additional insurances. It is wise to insure children under 21 for dental costs, as dentists are extremely expensive here.

Health insurance is expensive, expect to pay at least 200 CHF per month per person for the mandatory insurance. Quality of health care is, as to be expected in Switzerland, excellent.

You MUST get health insurance in Switzerland if resident. If not, care can be expensive

Hi,

In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats, we would like to invite you to share your experience on this topic, with updated info on the healthcare system.

Thank you in advance,

Julie
Expat.com Team

What's to update? The situation, as previous respondents have answered, has not changed

@ big_fact_hunt > Do note that we only wanted to update this topic as the last post was old ( year 2012) and we didn't know if these information were still reliable in 2015 or not.
Our target is to share accurate information to the expats and soon-to-be expats.

Thank you for your contribution here

Priscilla 

As a Canadian living in Switzerland for the past 9 years, I can say that the system here is amazing. Yes you have to pay for mandatory minimal insurance, but in turn insurance is mandated to pay for essential services - like anything related to birth (including several days in hospital, aftercare with a midwife for up to 10 visits etc), or most things that are prescribed by a doctor (and most doctors will tell you whether insurance covers what they are recommending or not). You can then augment that with insurance for 'alternative' services like osteopath etc.

There is nearly never a wait and if you are looking for service that isn't provided by your insurance you can almost always find it and pay for it yourself, simple as that.

Some doctors seem to give outdated advice, is my biggest complaint. Breastfeeding on demand is recommended by any and all credible organizations, but not by many pediatricians, for examples.

In general I would consider the Swiss health care system expensive, but the best in the world, bar none.