Choosing a health insurance plan is crucial in Switzerland, as a Swiss citizen must get insured with at least one insurance plan regulated by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Also, as healthcare is divided among cantons and decentralized, established health insurance companies are more in numbers. This is where people get to choose from a wide range of plans from different companies, but every company has a basic plan which is the least a consumer should pay to the company, and each company is obliged to provide the same services under this plan.
People not doing a detailed comparison of insurance plans of different companies can lose hundreds of francs a year on insurance. Being clear about what service you need and what you don’t accomplishes 50% of the cost savings. A study says that people pay a considerable amount of money on services they don’t need, but these are part of their health insurance plans.
Make a Right Choice on Deductibles
Also, if you are a healthy person and rarely go to the doctor, have a healthy lifestyle. Choosing the highest deductible is often advised, but you could choose lower deductibles. A deductible is an amount that a policyholder has to pay before the insurance company starts paying up. In other words, the insurance company is liable to pay the claim amount only when it exceeds the deductible. A high deductible lowers your premiums, but you pay more for your healthcare costs, whereas the opposite is true if you choose a low deductible.
Watch for Premium Increases every year
Another point to consider here is that insurance companies have the independence to increase their premiums every year by some percent. This increment depends on companies’ performance and government policies, so having a clear idea and knowledge about different insurance companies is necessary. Otherwise, choosing a company that does not have a good increment record, could result in a loss. Also, many companies often change their plan scheme; thus, individuals should regularly check how beneficial their health insurance cover is.
Compare Insurance plan to Make a Wise Decision
Always start your comparison with government-provided info, read them carefully, and know about the necessary terms. Then visit a trusted health insurance comparison site, compare plans of different companies and yearly increment history. You can also see a company’s website where they need some basic info; the sites offer you various plans when you share details. You may then select the best suitable insurance for yourself.
Insurance companies change premiums based on cantons too. So, watch out for the company which provides the best plan in your canton. Also, if you are a new citizen, don’t worry; many websites are available online that can help you out with the comparison.
www.priminfo.ch is a premium calculator for compulsory health insurance. Information on allowances is also available on the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Companies often provide discounts if you are a new citizen, so watch out for them too. Discounts offering are available if you choose to pay semi-annually, but these discounted prices may vary from company to company.
Although the Swiss government tries implementing similar plan services, companies have different plans to compete with other companies. Possible differences between insurance providers include the quality of customer service, coverage for medicines in addition to the legally required cover, settlement options (directly or indirectly), the difference in health insurance premiums billing, etc.
Basic insurance policyholders must also compare private supplementary insurance. Supplementary health insurance providers offer premiums based on the age and gender of the policyholder.
Insurance Companies with their Rating Comparison
These are from a survey conducted by comapris.ch, a health insurance comparison website that surveyed the Swiss population to assess its level of satisfaction with basic health insurance.
They rated the dimensions like Value for money, Performance: quality and service, Information/communication/transparency, Convenience of touchpoints and contacts, Innovation, Overall satisfaction. A weighted average is calculated using the dimensions 1 to 5 plus 6.Health Insurance comparison [You can visit for the german version at https://krankenkassevergleich.ch/] can help you save money on services you don’t need and enables you to choose the right plan covering all that you need without emptying your wallets.
