Health insurance in Switzerland : LAMal and Supplementary insurance

Health insurance: LAMal and supplementary health insurance

In Switzerland, health insurance is compulsory for all residents. Although it is ruled by the KVG/LAMal – the federal law on health insurance -, it is not centralized and therefore not supervised by the government.

Each insured person can choose his or her health insurance company, and policy. Despite the fact that benefits are the strictly the same, the monthly premiums can significantly change from one policy to another.

The aim of the KVG is to provide the entire population minimal access to health care, but it is not tailored to everyone’s lifestyle. This is where supplementary insurance comes in, as it is private and optional, offering a wide range of coverage, from dental care to alternative medication and sports incentives.

The Swiss health system meets high standards, but is rather expensive. For this reason and to avoid surprises, it is important to carefully choose your insurance. As usual, Noé makes everything crystal-clear for you to take a mindful decision!

Compulsory insurance

Remember, the basic health insurance “LAMal” is not at choice – and from our point of view, this is a good thing. Still, we should pay attention to the one we go for. As long as Switzerland does not have a single health insurance scheme, you will have to ask yourself a couple of questions before choosing an insurer: If the coverage is the same, which criteria matter the most when choosing your compulsory health insurance? What does it cover precisely? How to reduce the bill? What is out of the LAMAL scope? How do I claim reimbursement?

Supplementary insurance

Supplementary insurance is an equivalent to the third pillar, when it comes to health insurance. Once your compulsory basic insurance selected, you can ask any insurance company to cover you beyond the LAMAL scope. This is voluntary, and you can tailor it the coverage to your own risks.

The main difference between basic and supplementary insurance lies in the law. Supplementary insurance is ruled the law on insurance contracts (LCA) allowing insurers to offer any coverage, under any conditions and at any price.

Take the time to learn the basics before deciding where to subscribe your supplementary insurance: What are the benefits of a supplementary insurance? When should you take out supplementary insurance? What does supplementary insurance cover? When can you cancel? How do health care bill payments work?