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Healthcare in Switzerland: Everything expats should know

Switzerland isn’t just famous for chocolate, watches, and cheese. It also has what is widely considered to be one of the world’s best healthcare systems, and once you’re a Swiss resident you’ll have full access to its services.

Published: 11 July 2018 13:51 CEST
Healthcare in Switzerland: Everything expats should know
Photo: kyolshin/Depositphotos

Swiss healthcare is universal, which means that all residents have the right to access its extremely high standard of services. However, you can’t just walk straight into a doctor’s surgery, no questions asked! There are a few administrative steps to follow beforehand.

So first, a little background.

The healthcare system in Switzerland is made up of a combination of public, subsidised private, and fully private health systems. Unlike some other European countries, the Swiss healthcare system isn’t paid for by taxes but instead through its residents’ obligatory contributions to health insurance schemes. 

Almost everyone who enters Switzerland requires a visa and a Swiss residence permit if they are planning on staying for more than three months. In order to apply for your Swiss visa, you will need to provide evidence of health insurance cover. Even if you are in Switzerland for under three months, basic health insurance is compulsory. 

International health insurance providers like Cigna Global offer plans designed specifically for individuals and families living abroad. Find a package that suits your situation and get your new life in Switzerland off to a safe start.

Find out more about Cigna Global health insurance

Finding a doctor

You’re generally free to choose your own doctor (arzt/médicin), unless your health insurance policy states otherwise.

You will be able to register with a doctor, provided you are signed up to the Swiss health insurance scheme. You can find your local doctor in the Yellow Pages or by visiting doctor.ch.

After your appointment you’ll receive a bill from the doctor. This will need to be paid in full, after which you’ll send a copy to your insurance company who will reimburse the amount covered by your plan. Some medical centres have agreements with certain insurance companies, which means you the reimbursement will already be applied and you just need to pay your share.

In major cities like Zurich it shouldn’t be too hard to find an English-speaking doctor. However, in the more rural areas you may struggle. Your embassy should maintain a list of doctors who speak your language.

Emergency care

Most local communities (canton) will have a hospital (krankenhaus, spital/hôpital), and any kind of emergency treatment is covered by all basic health insurance plans. In general, you should visit the hospital in the canton where you are residing, although there may be exceptions.

Apart from emergencoes, you need a referral from your doctor to visit a hospital. If you do have a life-threatening situation and need to go straight to hospital, then go to your nearest A&E department (notaufnahme) which should be open around the clock.

If you need urgent medical assistance and can’t get to the hospital by yourself, call 144 to get through to the Swiss ambulance service.

Hospital fees aren’t cheap, and will have to be paid either directly by you or by your insurance company, so remember to take along proof of your policy. 

Specialist care

Even Switzerland’s basic health insurance covers visits to specialists (facharzt), such as gynaecologists, oncologists, and dermatologists. Unless your insurance plan states otherwise, you should be able to consult a specialist without getting a referral note from your doctor first.

If you have private health insurance with an international provider like Cigna Global, you can access their worldwide network of English-speaking specialists. All you have to do it call Cigna’s Customer Care Team who will offer guidance and arrange to pay your fees wherever possible.

Pharmacies

Like pharmacies in many European cities, Swiss pharmacies (apotheke) are easily recognised by the big green cross outside. There will always be at least one emergency pharmacy open in each canton.

There are two types of medication: over-the-counter medicines like antihistamines and ibuprofen, and prescription-only medicine like antibiotics or beta-blockers. 

Around a third of all medicines require a prescription (rezept), which you need to get from a doctor first. It’s worth noting that even prices for over-the-counter medicines are quite high in Switzerland, so stock up before you relocate and take your own basic supply with you.

The cost of prescription medication is mostly covered by the basic health insurance, so you only have to pay 10 percent and will get 90 percent of the cost reimbursed. 

Often, insurance companies provide you with an insurance card to present at the pharmacy, which will in turn bill the insurance company on your behalf. You will then receive an invoice for the 10 percent of the cost you have to pay yourself.

Paying for it

The Swiss healthcare system is exceptional, although taking out private health insurance before you arrive can feel like a weight off your shoulders. It’s just one less thing to worry about throughout the relocation process.

Cigna Global offers several packages and optional add-ons that have been designed specifically for expats. Find one that suits you, and think about all of the Swiss chocolate you’ll soon be enjoying instead of what to do if you need to see a doctor.

Get a free quote from Cigna Global 

The content within this article has been created by The Local and provides only a general overview for information only. No reliance should be placed on the information contained with this article. Nothing in this article is intended to constitute legal, tax, financial planning, health or medical advice.
The Local is an affiliate advertiser of Cigna Global and has been paid a fee to market Cigna Global individual private medical insurance plans within the content of this article.
For more information on Cigna Global, or to get a quote, please visit cignaglobal.com. Terms and conditions apply.

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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

REVEALED: How Switzerland’s native-English speakers are growing in number

Some Swiss cities have higher concentrations of foreign residents than others. A new study reveals where most of them live and interestingly how more and more of them are native English-speakers.

Published: 23 April 2024 15:21 CEST
REVEALED: How Switzerland's native-English speakers are growing in number

Foreigners who move to Switzerland like to settle in the cities.

This is what emerges from a new study published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Tuesday.

Surprisingly, the municipality with the highest number of foreign residents is not Zurich or Geneva, but Kreuzlingen in canton Thurgau, where 56.3 percent of the population are foreigners.

Next is Rorschach in St. Gallen, where just over half (50.6 percent) of residents are foreign.

In terms of regions, however, more towns in the French-speaking part of the country have a high proportion of non-Swiss.

In the first place is the Lausanne suburb of Renens, where 49.3 percent of inhabitants are foreign.

It is followed by Geneva (49.2 percent) and its districts Meyrin (45.4 percent) and Vernier (44.8 percent). Next are Vaud municipalities of Montreux (44.2 percent) and Yverdon (37.7 percent).

The study doesn’t indicate why exactly so many immigrants move to these particular towns, but generally new arrivals tend to settle in or near places where they work.

Another interesting finding: English language is gaining ground

“If we consider non-national languages, it is striking to see that English has developed significantly,” FSO reports.

“It is today the main language of 8.1 percent of the resident population.”

This has also been shown in another FSO study in March, which indicated that  English is not only the most prevalent foreign language in Switzerland, but in some regions even ‘outperforms’ national languages.

In French-speaking Geneva, for instance, 11.8 percent of the population speak English — more than 5.7 percent who speak Italian. And in the neighbouring Vaud, 9.1 percent of residents speak English, versus 4.9 percent for both German and Italian.

In Basel-City, where the main language is German, 12.5 percent speak English, 6.1 percent Italian, and 5 percent French.

And in Zurich,10.8 percent speak English, versus only 5.8 percent for Italian and 3.2 percent French.

The ‘ winner’ however, is the German-speaking Zug, where 14.1 percent of the population over the age of 15 has English as their primary language. 

READ ALSO : Where in Switzerland is English most widely used? 

What else does the study reveal?

It shows to what extent Switzerland’s population ‘migrated’ from rural areas to cities over the past century.

While only a third of the country’s residents lived in urban regions 100 years ago, the 170 Swiss cities and their agglomerations are now home to three-quarters of the population.

As a result of this evolution, “new cities sprang up, many political and spatial boundaries were moved, and the country became increasingly urban.”

With a population of 427,000, Zurich is still the most populated city, followed by Geneva (204,000) and Basel (174,000).

And there is more: Fewer people practice religion

The proportion of people who feel they belong to a traditional religion is generally falling, FSO found.

This downward trend concerns all religions, but it is strongest among people of the Reformed Evangelical faith.

In six towns in particular — Bussigny, Crissier, and Ecublens (VD), Kloten, and Opfikon (ZH), as well as Oftringen (AR) — the drop was of more than 70 percent.
 
 READ ALSO: Why so many Swiss are quitting the church and taking their money with them

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