Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world where health insurance is mandatory for all residents, irrespective of nationality. Moreover, insurance is provided individually, even to members of the same family, including children. Each person will have their own coverage that is optimized for their requirement.
Even visitors with a Swiss residence permit that is valid for more than three months require mandatory health insurance. But even if your work permit is for less than that time, and you do not have equivalent insurance from any other country, you will have to get health insurance. Children and even unemployed family members need to have insurance as per regulations. Unless you are a tourist passing through or have come to Switzerland temporarily to study, in which case, you have to apply for exemption from the local healthcare authority within 3 months of the beginning of the requirement.
Importance of Health Insurance Comparison online in Switzerland
Switzerland’s robust healthcare infrastructure and facilities are made possible not by government aid, but by the premiums which are paid by the policyholders, co-payments (including deductible, retention fees), and the premium subsidies provided by the local and national government healthcare budgets. Another major difference is that the premiums are independent of a person’s income, and are calculated based on the insurance provider, place of residence, and which type of insurance is chosen by the applicant. For example, if a citizen chooses an option deductible such as restricted choice of healthcare providers, their premiums would be lower.
The healthcare insurance system makes it compulsory for the insurance providers to offer equal quality treatment for all the insured persons, irrespective of their health status, when choosing the type of insurance or when reimbursing costs.
That is Switzerland is able to provide such high-quality healthcare facilities and treatment to all its citizens. But it also means that the premiums for healthcare insurance can become quite high. Though there are federal and cantonal premium subsidies, those are reserved for citizens with low income, children, and young adults who are studying or training. The cantonal health department would approve the subsidies as per their current regulations.
All this may seem too complicated at first glance, but the process is actually very streamlined to ensure a hassle-free process for all the stakeholders.
In Switzerland, insurance is compulsory for individuals, and not families like in other places. What it means is that each member of a family gets their own insurance depending on their personal requirements and can choose whichever provider they find the most relevant to those requirements. However, each member can have different insurance providers.
When doing a health insurance comparison, the right insurance policy should strike the right balance between the benefits and the premiums costs. Policies should be regularly reviewed to make sure that the latest regulations are considered, and also to be updated as per the needs of the policyholder. So, if you require any specific healthcare treatments, like maternity, you should find the best insurance package which would ensure timely and reliable treatment without overshooting your insurance budget. Information given out by the local federal health departments is a great place to start. You can find all the data online, to help you choose the right solution for you.
The website Healthinsurance-swiss.ch provides a great premium calculator for compulsory health insurance comparison which is completely neutral. You can also check the FOPH website to check the premiums for optional daily allowance insurance to make informed decisions when signing up for insurance. This is very important because you can change your insurance provider only after one year.
There are around 50 health insurance providers in Switzerland who are eligible to offer a wide range of coverage and insurance solutions.
What to consider when choosing Health Insurance comparison online:
A major difference between the insurance providers would be the quality of services that provide to their policyholders. Some other differences include the methods of payment and reimbursements such as requiring the policyholder to pay for the medication from their own pockets first and then apply for reimbursement. Insurance providers also cannot refuse any application without valid objections. The annual Overview of premiums for compulsory Health insurance can be obtained from the FOPH, which provides most of the information required before you start searching for the right policy.
Also, make sure that compulsory and supplementary insurance can be used together to cover all the requirements of the applicant which balances the costs of the premiums.
Choosing the right type of insurance, such as with restricted choice in healthcare, optional deductible, bonus insurance or different insurance models can also help reduce the costs of the premiums.
CONCLUSION
It is easy to do a health insurance comparison online in Switzerland, with a wide range of governmental and private data available. With proper research and due diligence, you can save by choosing as per your exact requirements to avail yourself of the high level of healthcare options.
