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HEALTH

Deaths in Switzerland continue to climb as country sees biggest increase in coronavirus infections yet

A total of 1,383 additional cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Switzerland on Saturday, while the nation’s death toll is fast approaching 250.

Published: 28 March 2020 15:51 CET
Deaths in Switzerland continue to climb as country sees biggest increase in coronavirus infections yet
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

In the 24 hours to Saturday, 45 additional deaths from the virus were recorded – the highest single-day rise since the outbreak began. 

The total deaths recorded from the virus in Switzerland now stands at 243. The heaviest hit canton is Ticino, making up 76 – or roughly one third – of the nation’s total death toll. An additional 11 died overnight from Friday to Saturday. 

EXPLAINER: Why does Switzerland want to test former coronavirus patients?

There have now been 13,440 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Switzerland. The 1,383 detected in the 24 hours to Saturday is the highest single-day total in Switzerland since the outbreak started. 

With the total decreasing across the three previous days, some had hoped that the continual decline indicated the country’s restrictive measures were working. 

While Ticino has the highest number of deaths from the virus, the most positive cases have been recorded in Vaud (2,532) followed by Geneva. 

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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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