Which schemes of health insurance exist in Switzerland?

Basic health insurance
The basic health insurance covers the costs of treatment and healing costs in case of illness, accident and maternity. The health insurer takes over the costs for ambulant treatments with the family doctor or in hospitals as well as for stationary stays in the general department of a hospital.
The benefits of the basic health insurance are defined in detail by the legislator and are identical with all health insurance schemes in Switzerland.

The health insurance companies are not allowed to reject anybody who wants to get a basic health insurance from them. The health insurer is also not allowed to make any reservations or restrictions concerning the benefits of the health insurance scheme.

Private supplementary health insurance
The private supplementary health insurance offers the possibility to enhance the basic coverage concerning nursing benefits and healing costs. The most important additional covers are:

• The ambulant supplementary insurance for example covers alternative healing methods like homoeopathy and acupuncture, provides contributions to eye lenses or psychotherapeutic treatments and precaution investigations.
• The hospital supplementary insurance allows a treatment in a half-private or private department in a hospital or offers the expansion of the insurance cover to Europe or worldwide.
• Dental assurance covers dental treatments including oral surgery caused by illness.
• Travel assurance covers the ambulant and stationary treatments outside of Switzerland as well as rescue costs and the costs of the home transport.
  The daily benefits insurance according to VVG covers any loss of salary as a result of illness beyond the basic insurance.

Unlike with basic insurance, for the private supplement health insurance the insurer can decide on the admission of the insured persons. The offers of the insurers are also extremely different – a detailed comparison of the products is therefore very important.