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HEALTH

Switzerland sees 25 percent increase in coronavirus cases

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Switzerland has risen to more than 6,100 - an increase of 25 percent on figures from the previous day. The number of fatalities has also risen and now stands at 56.

Published: 21 March 2020 15:07 CET
Switzerland sees 25 percent increase in coronavirus cases
A man walks in a ski slope under a closed ski lift on Mars 15, 2020, after the Swiss government announced preventive measures against the spread of the COVID-19. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

The number of confirmed cases is officially 6,113, with 1,273 more cases than Friday, the Federal Office of Public Health said. 

Boosting businesses to funding freelancers: Here is how Switzerland is tackling its coronavirus-affected economy

UPDATE: What you need to know about the coronavirus crisis in Switzerland 

56 people in Switzerland have died from the virus, an increase of 13 from the previous day. 

Half of the confirmed cases are people under 51 or under. 

 

 

The virus has now spread to all of Switzerlands 26 cantons. 

On a per capita basis, the most heavily hit canton in Switzerland is Ticino. An average of 258 per 100,000 people have the virus in the Italian-speaking canton, followed by 181 per 100,000 in Vaud and 107 in Graübunden.  

 

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HEALTH INSURANCE

Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

The Swiss health system is ranked among the best in the world, but some essentials, like glasses, aren't automatically covered by health insurance. That could soon change, however

Published: 16 May 2024 15:06 CEST
Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

Green Party Federal Councillor Katharina Prelicz-Huber revealed in an interview with newspaper 20 Minuten this week that the Federal Parliament had tabled a motion to include prescription glasses and contact lenses in Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance scheme. 

Prelicz-Huber stated: “The purpose of compulsory health insurance is to provide the services you need to get or stay healthy,”

The motion forms part of the legislation that will be voted on during the 2024 summer session of the Federal Council. 

Proposed changes 

According to Switzerland’s peak optician body, 4 in 5 Swiss wear glasses or contact lenses at some point. 

It’s no surprise that statistics repository, Statista, projects the Swiss eyewear industry to be worth €1.37 billion by 2028. 

Currently, glasses and contact lenses are covered for up to 180 francs for children until age eighteen, if they are proscribed by a doctor.

Adults can also claim money back for glasses and contact lenses – however, they must be suffering from one of a short list of specific conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea is distorted – or severe myopia, otherwise known as near-sightedness.

They must also have been specifically prescribed them by a doctor or optometrist. 

Otherwise, supplemental optical insurance must be purchased in Switzerland to ensure you can recoup the cost. 

Under the Green Party proposal, glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids would be covered, regardless of age. 

Rising premiums prompt opposition 

Not everybody agrees with the proposal. 

The right-wing SVP has already spoken out against it, with Federal Councillor Diana Gutjahr arguing: “If we seriously want to slow down the burdensome and constantly rising health costs for the benefit of the population, we [must] show the political will not to constantly expand the benefits of compulsory health insurance.”

A spokesman for the the health insurance advocacy group Santesuisse, Matthias Müller, echoed Gutjahr, claiming that insurance constitutes “financing for extraordinary events such as illness.”

“If almost everyone benefits from a certain service, it is no longer an insurance benefit.”

A date for the vote has yet to be announced. 

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