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HEALTH

Switzerland makes 400 million francs available for coronavirus vaccine

The Swiss government has increased its vaccine fund by CHF100 million, bringing the total funds available for the vaccine to CHF400 million.

Published: 11 November 2020 16:47 CET
Switzerland makes 400 million francs available for coronavirus vaccine
Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

The decision was made on Wednesday afternoon. Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset made the announcement, saying the vaccine would be made available to the entire Swiss population. 

The money allocated goes towards the purchase of the vaccine doses and does not include the costs associated with the vaccination process. 

Swiss media site 20 Minutes reports that the vaccine is estimated to cost 40 francs per person. Each person requires two doses, with each needle costing 20 francs. 

According to Stefan Kuster, Head of the Communicable Diseases Section at the Federal Office of Public Health, was unable to put a concrete timeline on when the vaccine would be available, but did tell a media conference on Tuesday that people in risk groups and those around them would be first in line to be vaccinated. 

EXPLAINED: When will Switzerland roll out a Covid-19 vaccine? 

Health workers are also expected to have early access to the vaccine. 

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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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