What costs does basic insurance cover?

In the event of an accident that may occur abroad, accident insurance covers the costs incurred. Accident insurance is mandatory in Switzerland. Anyone who works at least eight hours a week is also insured against non-occupational accidents by their employer. Anyone with a reduced workload or no work should include accident insurance in their basic health insurance.

If you have health problems abroad, you should immediately notify your health insurance.

In case of illness, the compulsory basic insurance covers only emergency treatment by a doctor or in a hospital. Whether a disease is an emergency or not should be decided on a case-by-case basis. For this reason, it is recommended that insured persons notify their health insurers immediately if they experience health problems abroad. As in Switzerland, the insured must always pay exemptions and franchises.

Basic insurance does not cover all costs

In an emergency abroad, the basic insurance must pay no more than twice the amount it would pay for the same treatment in Switzerland. When traveling to high health priced islands such as the USA, Japan, Canada or Australia, it is highly recommended that you cover the higher costs with additional insurance.

When traveling abroad, be sure to take your insurance card with you. As a rule, the card is also a European health insurance card and entitles you to the same health services and the same tariffs as the insured in the EU and EFTA countries. The card allows direct payment by cash register. As a rule, medical treatments do not have to be paid in cash or by credit card.