Supplementary Health Insurance: Questions and Answers

Many people are confused about what supplemental health insurance is, what it covers, and how it differs from mandatory health insurance. This moneyland.ch guide answers important questions about Swiss supplemental health insurance.

What is the difference between basic health insurance and supplemental health insurance?

Many people do not understand the difference between mandatory insurance and supplemental insurance.

• Mandatory health insurance

Basic Swiss health insurance covers basic medical care in Switzerland, with limited cover for travel outside Switzerland. This insurance is mandatory for all residents, and insurance providers are required to accept all eligible applicants. You can find an overview in the guide to what is covered by mandatory health insurance.

• Supplementary health insurance

Supplemental health insurance adds cover for things that basic insurance only partially covers, or does not cover at all. You can use it to close gaps in your health insurance cover. This insurance is voluntary, and insurance providers do not have to accept you as a customer.

Which kinds of supplemental health insurance are there?

Supplemental health insurance can be broadly divided into three categories:

• Health insurance for outpatient treatments

Supplemental outpatient insurance adds to the basic cover for doctors, specialists, medicines, vaccinations, and preventative checkups that you get from mandatory health insurance. It may also include travel medical insurance, benefits for gym membership and courses that improve your wellbeing, and cover for dentists and orthodontists. Benefits vary between offers. You can find an overview of possible benefits in the guide to costs that may be covered by supplemental outpatient insurance.

The interactive supplementary outpatient insurance comparison lets you compare offers based on benefits and costs.

• Dental insurance

Basic Swiss health insurance only covers dental work in very few situations. Supplemental dental insurance can be used to insure the cost of routine dental checkups, dental treatments, dental prosthetics, and orthodontic treatments. You can find more information in the guide to Swiss dental insurance.

• Health insurance for hospital stays

Complementary hospital insurance extends the basic cover you get from mandatory Swiss health insurance. You can choose between offers for general wards, semi-private wards, or private wards. There is also flexible hospital insurance that covers all three wards, with different benefits and deductibles for each.

The interactive complementary hospital insurance comparison makes it easy to find the right offer for your needs and wallet.

Can I get supplemental health insurance?

Whether or not you can get supplemental health insurance depends mostly on these factors:

• Your age

Many offers have age limits for new customers. The older you are, the less likely you are to be accepted.

• Your health

If you have serious health conditions, or generally poor health, you may not be accepted as a new customer. Insurers may also grant you supplemental health insurance, but add exclusions for your pre-existing health conditions.

Do I have to get basic and supplemental health insurance from the same insurance provider?

No. Your mandatory health insurance and supplemental health insurance are separate insurance policies. You can terminate one without terminating the other. There are several reasons why you may want to split your mandatory and complementary insurance between different insurance providers:

• Better insurance cover

The company with the cheapest mandatory health insurance for your age and location may not have the cheapest or the most suitable supplemental health insurance.

• Lower costs

Basic, mandatory insurance is available to all residents, and you cannot be rejected due to poor health. Because the insurance premiums for mandatory insurance change regularly, you can often save a lot of money by changing insurance providers every year.

But insurance providers are not required to give you supplemental health insurance. If your health deteriorates, you may have difficulty moving to a different supplemental insurance offer. For that reason, you may want to keep your supplemental health insurance for many years – especially as you get older or develop illnesses.

• More choice

There are some insurance companies that only have supplemental health insurance, but not basic insurance. Splitting your mandatory and supplemental insurance lets you take advantage of these offers.

The main disadvantage of using separate insurance providers is that you have to submit the same insurance claims to each of your different insurance providers. This is less convenient, compared to having all claims processed by just one insurance company.

Can I use different insurance companies for different kinds of supplemental health insurance?

Yes. You are free to apply for any complementary health insurance offer from any insurance provider. That means you can, for example, get supplemental outpatient insurance from one insurance company, supplemental hospital insurance from a second, and dental insurance from a third. It is a good idea to compare each type of insurance individually. You can use the interactive outpatient and hospital insurance comparisons, and the overview available in the dental insurance guide. Using the best available offer for each insurance you need can help you save money and/or get the best possible insurance cover.

Here too, the main disadvantage is that you have to send different medical bills to different insurance companies, which can be inconvenient.

When can I terminate a supplemental health insurance offer?

Each offer has its own notice period requirements, with many requiring three months of notice before the end of the year. That is a major difference between supplemental insurance and basic, mandatory health insurance – which can be terminated at the end of each year by giving notice at the end of November.

Many insurance providers offer discounts if you choose a minimum contract term of two years or more. If you add a minimum contract term, you will have to wait until that time period expires to terminate your policy – always with the required notice. If your contract term is longer than three years, you have the legal right to terminate your contract at the end of the third year, or at the end of each year after that.

You can find useful information in the guides to terminating and changing supplemental health insurance.

Can I keep my Swiss supplemental health insurance if I leave Switzerland?

Standard supplemental outpatient, hospital, and dental insurance offers are typically only provided to residents of Switzerland. If you leave Switzerland, your supplemental insurance contracts will normally be terminated.

However, some insurance providers give you the option of putting your supplemental health insurance on hold for a certain period of time during temporary stays in foreign countries. You can then reactivate it upon returning to Switzerland. This helps prevent you from losing your insurance cover.

There are Swiss insurance providers and insurance brokers that offer international health insurance. This voluntary insurance can provide a solution for staying insured after moving to a country where adequate health insurance is not available.

More on this topic:
Compare supplemental outpatient insurance offers now
Compare supplemental hospital insurance offers now
How to choose the right hospital insurance
How do I find the best health insurance?