Does mandatory Swiss health insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

A second generation Swiss friend of mine living in the U.S. is suffering from a debilitating and chronic illness. He is completely ruined financially and can't afford to cover the out of pocket costs for health care - at risk of losing everything and becoming homeless.

He has basic health insurance but still pays a large part of his bills. It occured to me that if he is Swiss he could techinically just move to Switzerland and get mandatory health insurance since insurance companies can't refuse him here.

Here is my question: Even though a Swiss health insurance company can't refuse you mandatory health insurance, is it posible that they could exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions? Or are they legally required to cover pre-existing conditions as well?

Hi there,

Swiss health insurance providers are required to provide compulsory health insurance to all residents of Switzerland and cannot deny anyone coverage. Coverage extends to all pre-existing conditions, with no exclusions.

Best regards from Moneyguru

More on this topic:
Swiss compulsory health insurance comparison

Does this apply to all illnesses? Including cancer, hereditary conditions, etc? What is covered and what isn't?

Hi there,

Yes, all pre-existing conditions are covered. There is no limit on the sum insured. No matter what your health condition is, you only pay the deductible and the coinsurance.

You can choose the lowest deductible even if you have a preexisting condition. The coinsurance is dictated by law (10% max. 700 Swiss francs per year) and is identical for all residents.

You can find detailed information on the coverage provided by compulsory health insurance in these articles:

16 Costs Covered by Your Compulsory Policy
Swiss health insurance: Managed care models explained
Getting Medical Treatment Outside of Switzerland: What Does Swiss Health Insurance Cover?