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Healthcare System information/Insurance news |
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Switzerland is famous throughout Europe for its quality medical and paramedical services. The country spends about 10 percent of its GDP on healthcare, placing Switzerland near the top of OECD countries for medical expenditure. The medical facilities in the country employ the latest state of the art technology, and Switzerland has one of the world’s lowest patient-to-doctor ratios (280:1) as well as a high ratio of well-trained nurses to doctors.
The high quality healthcare in Switzerland comes at a cost. It is compulsory that everyone living in the country have basic health insurance. Foreigners must obtain health insurance within the first three months of their arrival in Switzerland and babies must be insured within three months of birth. Visitors to Switzerland for three months or less may be covered by a reciprocal agreement between the home country and Switzerland (such as the EU Healthcard), or by a private health insurance scheme. Individuals are responsible for contacting insurance providers, since employers do not necessarily arrange for coverage. In terms of accident insurance, by law, an employer is obliged to insure all employees; costs are split by employee and employer. Dental treatment normally is not covered under basic insurance scheme.
Health insurance premiums in Switzerland are not dependent on income, but are calculated based on personal risk profile. The Swiss Confederation subsidizes premiums for low-income individuals/families. Swiss insurance schemes only cover individuals, not families, as in some other European social security schemes. Each household member, including children is required to be insured.
Except for emergencies, an individual usually needs to be referred to a hospital by a doctor. Depending on the type of insurance scheme one holds, the coverage will vary, the standard insurance coverage will normally put an individual into a general ward with two to four beds. Under this scheme, the patient does not have the right to choose the choice of the doctor, which may be a problem if the doctor does not speak the language of your country.
Hospitals in Switzerland are quite pricy. There is no “free treatment” in this country, even in the case of emergencies. All hospital fees have to be paid for either by out-of-pocket payment or by your insurance company, normally within 30 days after the hospital visit.
In addition to its high level of public healthcare services, private healthcare is also available in Switzerland. Health advice and treatment in these facilities are generally very costly but they do offer a more extensive range of services compared to public healthcare. Due to the international nature of this sector, most of the staff is English speaking. An individual can choose to purchase private insurance to supplement the compulsory insurance, allowing coverage for some of the treatment categories that are not covered by the basic insurance e.g. dental treatment, or to improve the standard of room and service in case of hospitalization e.g. upgrade to a private ward.
Switzerland is facing a shortage of nurses. Two-thirds of the healthcare professionals are being trained in Switzerland but only about one-half of the nurses needed are available, too many healthcare professionals choose to drop out of the training or take extended period of leave. Moreover, there is an increase in higher health insurance premiums. The increase in insurance premiums in 2009 has reduced 0.1 percent off the average Swiss disposable income. Premiums for compulsory insurance rose by 1.3 percent while the complementary insurance rose by 1.8 percent. One of the ways to solve the resources issue is to increase the flexibility in the workplace to accommodate employees’ needs. Re-design on work models and work flow maybe necessary. Whilst traveling or working in Switzerland, in order to give you and your family full protection on healthcare, it is recommended to put in place an International Health Insurance plan.
Globalsurance is a one-stop insurance brokerage service provider for you when travelling to Switzerland. We offer a wide range of policies to meet your individual needs, including benefits such as dental, maternity, inpatient, outpatient, specialist consultations and many others. Contact our professional advisers today to enjoy a full insurance protection such as Expat Health Insurance for yourself and your family.
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