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HEALTH

Switzerland promises coronavirus vaccine will be free and voluntary

The Swiss government announced on Wednesday that the coronavirus vaccine would be free in Switzerland, while also promising that the vaccination scheme would not be compulsory.

Published: 9 December 2020 17:25 CET
Switzerland promises coronavirus vaccine will be free and voluntary
A statue representing a child receiving a injection of vaccine is seen at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

On Wednesday, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (EDI) made an amendment to the Health Care Service Ordinance (KLV). 

The amendment ensured that vaccination for the coronavirus would be free in Switzerland. 

According to the change, the costs for the vaccination scheme will be covered by compulsory insurance providers, along with the federal and cantonal governments. 

 

 

The announcement was made on December 9th and will come into force on January 1st, 2021. 

In a statement, the government promised that the vaccination would be free – and voluntary. 

READ: Why the Swiss are banking on a more cautious approach to Covid-19 vaccine 

 

“The Covid-19 vaccine is an important element in fighting the pandemic. The vaccination strategy chosen by the federal government depends on the characteristics and availability of each vaccine,” the statement read.  

“The primary objective of the strategy is to prevent severe disease progression in particularly vulnerable groups, to ensure the continued existence of the health system and to minimise the negative social and economic consequences. 

The first vaccinations are to take place in the first half of 2021 as soon as Swissmedic has received approval. The Federal Council will not require a compulsory vaccination.”

Scheme to cost ‘approximately half a billion francs’

The statement also estimated the cost of the scheme as at least half a billion francs, while providing for who would foot the bill for what. 

“The health insurers cover the costs of the medical consultation and the vaccine, while the federal government bears the costs of transporting and distributing the vaccine to the cantons,” the statement read. 

READ: Will residents in Switzerland be allowed to go to Germany for Covid-19 vaccination? 

“The federal government will also assume the costs that exceed five francs per vaccine dose. The effective prices of future vaccines are not yet known.

“The cantons bear the logistical costs in their area and the deductible. 

“The costs borne by the health insurers are estimated at around 200 to 250 million francs, those for the federal government at at least the same amount.”

 

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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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