Travel Insurance for Switzerland - Information and recommended travel insurance for Switzerland

Travel insurance

Make sure that you have adequate health insurance. There is no free state health service in Switzerland (Swiss citizens and residents are all obliged to take out some form of private health insurance) and all treatment must generally be paid for. The EU and Switzerland have a reciprocal agreement on basic health-care provisions.

Although there is a public system in Switzerland, it is not really free as all residents in Switzerland have to pay for health insurance. EU members are covered to an extent, but should take out private travel/health cover. Treatment in a public ward of a public hospital is covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, which replaced the old E111 form in 2005), the card European citizens use to obtain reciprocal health care in other EU member states. There is a nonrefundable excess charge for every 30-day period in hospital. EU citizens with the EHIC pay half of the full cost of ambulances (road and air). Go to any doctor registered with the Swiss health system. Dental care, except emergency accident treatment, is not covered at all. You will generally have to pay up front and claim a refund from Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG (+41 32 625 48 20; Gibelinstrasse 25, Postfach CH-4503 Solothurn).