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COVID-19

What to know about changes to free Covid testing in Switzerland

From January 2023, people in Switzerland will generally have to pay for Covid-19 tests. Here's a look at the changes.

People queue at a Covid test center installed in a street of Swiss capital Bern on September 17, 2021.
People queue at a Covid test center installed in a street of Swiss capital Bern on September 17, 2021. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

What’s happening?

The Swiss Parliament says that from January 1st 2023, the costs of Covid-19 tests will no longer be paid for by the government. 

It means that anyone who wants a Covid test will have to pay for it themselves. 

However, Covid-19 tests ordered by a doctor will be met by health insurance costs “provided the test is required to determine any further medical action,” the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) said in a statement.

“Such costs will also, however, be subject to the insurance’s deductible and copayment provisions,” said the FOPH. The test result has no influence on the reimbursement.

Why are the rules changing?

Since the early days of the pandemic, the Swiss government has been covering the cost of Covid tests – at least most of the time.

But testing is expensive – the government spent 2.1 billion francs on tests in 2021, and 1.6 billion this year up to the start of December.

“The continuation of reimbursement for tests that benefit public health would have cost around CHF 100 million in the 1st quarter of 2023, according to estimates by the FOPH, based on a 20 to 30 percent higher test volume than in the past weeks,” the FOPH says.

However, keeping tests free of charge could also lead to additional costs in other areas – such as a potentially greater burden on doctors’ practices and hospitals, the FOPH said.

What’s the reaction?

For infection specialist Jan Fehr, the end of free testing is happening at a bad time.

At the moment, it is difficult to keep track of which respiratory tract infections are having a significant burden on the health system with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and Covid all circulating at the same time, he told Swiss broadcaster SRF.

“Charging for corona tests from January will lead to even fewer people getting tested and is currently incomprehensible from an epidemiological point of view,” said Fehr.

Santésuisse, the industry association of Swiss health insurers, urged the state to take over the costs of tests again if the Covid situation worsens in future. 

What else should I know?

According to the FOPH, Covid tests are possible in the same facilities as before, such as doctors’ surgeries, pharmacies, hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, as well as in test centres.

Despite tests not being free of charge unless a doctor has ordered them, vaccinations against Covid-19 will continue to be free for people in Switzerland in 2023.

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HEALTH

Reader question: Do I have to pay for prescription drugs in Switzerland?

Generally speaking, medications prescribed by a doctor are covered by healthcare insurance. But this doesn’t mean you won’t have to pay any costs at all.

Reader question: Do I have to pay for prescription drugs in Switzerland?

As is the case everywhere else, there are two types of medicines in Switzerland: those you buy without a prescription (over-the-counter — OTC) and those who are by doctor’s orders only.

As a general rule, compulsory health insurance (KVG in German and LaMal in French and Italian) reimburses medicines prescribed by a doctor, as long as they are included on the list of drugs officially approved by Switzerland’s regulatory body, Swissmedic — in total, about 2,500 medications.

The list is quite extensive, comprising not only brand-name and generic meds but also many biosimilars — medicines that are almost an identical copy of an original product manufactured by a different company.

Also covered are some alternative-medicine drugs, including homeopathy and physiotherapy. 

What happens when a doctor prescribes a drug that is not authorised in Switzerland?

In principle, the compulsory health insurance will not cover the costs and you will have to pay for it yourself.

However, there are exceptions to this rule.

For instance, even if a particular medication is not approved in Switzerland, but is imported from a country where it is authorised by a body that is considered equivalent to Swissmedic (for example, the European Medicines Agency), then KVG / LaMal will pay for it.

Also, if the cost of a drug is not covered by the compulsory health insurance, and you have taken out a complementary policy, it is possible the latter will pay for it.

These insurance providers have their own lists of medicines which they cover, though certain conditions and limitations may apply.

In general, neither basic nor supplementary insurance will pay for so-called  Pharmaceuticals for Special Application (LPPA). This list mainly includes “comfort” products, for example appetite suppressants or products that reduce hair loss.

READ ALSO: Should you buy supplemental health insurance in Switzerland?

How much of the cost does insurance pay?

As is the case for medical treatments in general, KVG / LaMal will pay 90 percent of the cost of medication for which no generics exist.

If, however, an equivalent generic drug is available, but you still choose the brand medicine, then your insurance carrier will cover 80 percent of the price. This means that you will have to pay either 10 or 20 percent of the cost yourself.

This will happen until you use up our entire deductible (franchise), in addition to your 10-percent share of the costs that exceed the deductible — a maximum of 700 francs per year for adults and 350 francs for children.

If you have a low deductible (300 francs), this means that once you use up 1,000 francs toward your medical costs (doctor’s visits, treatments, and medicines combined), you will then not have to pay anything toward your prescription drugs.

By the same token, if you have chosen the highest franchise — 2,500 francs — and add to it the 700-franc co-pay, you may never get to the point where all your medications will be completely covered by the insurance.

READ ALSO: Which Swiss health insurance deductible makes most sense?

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