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HEALTH INSURANCE

What to do if you haven’t yet received your Swiss health insurance card

Switzerland is late in issuing health insurance cards for new policy holders or those who have switched their providers at the end of 2022. What should you do if you need medical help before your new card arrives?

Published: 9 January 2023 11:01 CET
Updated: 14 January 2023 08:18 CET
What to do if you haven’t yet received your Swiss health insurance card
Your Austrian health insurance will pay a portion of your salary if you're off sick for a longer period of time, and also manages your long-term care insurance if necessary. Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

When you buy a health insurance policy in Switzerland from any of the dozens of approved providers, you will receive a credit card-sized card to be used as proof of insurance. Aside from your name, date of birth, and AHV / AVS number, the card also includes the name of your insurance company, client number, and the date of validity.

You will have to present this card each time you seek medical treatment that is included under the obligatory KVG / LaMal scheme.

Residents of Switzerland are allowed to change their compulsory health insurance coverage from one provider to another by November 30th, to go into effect from January of the following year.

The sharp increase in the cost of the health insurance in 2023 — 6.6 percent on average, but higher in some cantons — has prompted many people to look for cheaper options and change their carriers.

READ MORE: Millions of Swiss residents switch health insurance amid rising costs

This massive switch has caused a backlog in the production of new insurance cards, which means that many policy holders have not yet received theirs.

The cards for all insurance carriers are issued by a subsidiary of the Santésuisse health insurance association, whose spokesperson, Manuel Ackermann, said that the delay is caused by the “extraordinarily large number” — three times as many as in an average year — of switches.

He did not specify how much longer is needed to issue and send out all the cards.

What should you do if you haven’t yet received your card?

Say you need medical help, or another situation arises where proof of health insurance is needed — for instance, if you are applying for a new job or registering in a new municipality.

In such cases, you can present the insurance certificate letter your carrier has issued when you took up your policy.

While not having an insurance card is a minor inconvenience in Switzerland, where such a certificate can be used in the interim, it could be more of a problem when travelling in the European Union.

Under normal circumstances, if you fall ill in the EU, all you have do is present your Swiss card, which is equivalent to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This way, you can be treated and the bill will go directly to your Swiss insurance company.

However, absence of the card could mean that hospitals in those countries may not recognise the insurance certificate alone, and require Swiss residents to pay for medical care on the spot.

While not an ideal situation, you can submit the bill, along with all the required documents such as details of your treatment, to your insurer in Switzerland.

READ MORE: Reader question: Can my Swiss health insurance refuse to pay my medical bills?

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HEALTH INSURANCE

How Switzerland’s political parties want to curb surge in health costs

As voters in Switzerland are set to weigh in on two initiatives seeking to lower insurance premiums, the country’s politicians are proposing their own cost-cutting measures.

Published: 3 May 2024 13:02 CEST
How Switzerland's political parties want to curb surge in health costs

On June 9th, the Swiss will cast their votes on two issues aiming, though in different ways, to curb the continually increasing cost of the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal).

One calls for capping the insurance rates at 10 percent of income, while the other provides for a ‘brake’ on health costs, which should evolve according to the economy and wages.

READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s two crucial health insurance referendums could impact you 

Each initiative has its supporters and opponents, but regardless of what happens on June 9th, the issue of health insurance premiums, and health costs in general, will remain the focus of many political debates.

But while everyone in Switzerland agrees that health insurance is too expensive for most people, opinions on how to make it more affordable  differ along the political lines.

These are some of the main views, as reported by Swiss media.

Social Democrats 

The party that has spearheaded the ’10-percent of income’ initiative to be voted on June 9th, is also calling for scrapping of multiple private carriers  in favour of a single, government-run health fund.

The party argues that such a system would help keep the costs low.

Others, however, disagree, saying that lack of competition would have just the opposite effect: instead of reducing costs, it would increase them further.

They also point out that a private insurance system offers more choices  and provides a higher quality of services — including better access to specialists and shorter wait times for medical procedures —  than a public option.

READ ALSO: Could Switzerland ever change to state-run health insurance scheme? 

The Greens

The party has also spoken in favour of a single health provider, in addition to premiums based on income and wealth.

While the idea has gained support in some circles, others, including the Federal Council, have pointed out that the current system is “already income-based,” because low-earners are eligible for government subsidies if health insurance premiums exceed 8 percent of their revenue. 

The Greens also consider the fight against global warming as a health policy, saying that in Switzerland alone, more than 2,000 people die each year from diseases caused by air pollution.

Liberal-Radicals (PLR)

The party supports the system where patients voluntarily choose generic rather than brand-name drugs in return for lower health insurance premiums.

Under the current scheme, those who choose generics are only responsible for a 10-percent co-pay, while it is 40 percent for brand medicines. 

But “if policyholders can actually choose the model they want, we can definitely consider [this option],” said health economist Willy Oggier.

Swiss People’s Party (SVP)

Perhaps the most radical proposal comes from the party that is most right-wing.

Its proposal: the compulsory health insurance must be abolished altogether.

Not only is this idea drastic, but it is not implementable under the current law.

That’s because the current legislation is the outcome of the 1994 referendum, when voters accepted a general obligation for health insurance.

To repeal it, another referendum would have to be held, with the majority voting to scrap this law.

But even if the compulsory insurance were to be abolished, people would have to pay even more for health care, Oggier said.
 

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