Basic insurance models | Visana Insurance

V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a’s basic insurance models compared

Compulsory statutory basic insurance guarantees comprehensive cover for illness, accidents and maternity. The various basic insurance models all offer the same benefits. However, you can benefit from attractive discounts on your premium, depending on which model you choose. It’s worthwhile comparing them and choosing the one which is most closely tailored to your own needs.

Combined

Basic insurance model with free choice: You contact your general practitioner or Medi24.

You contact either your general practitioner or Medi24.

After the initial consultation, your general practitioner or Medi24 will prescribe your treatment
Referral in consultation with your general practitioner or Medi24

General practitioner

Basic insurance models with your general practitioner, group practice or health organisation as your first point of contact.

You always consult a doctor from the network of doctors or the HMO practice you specified when you signed the contract.

Choose a doctor from the network of doctors or an HMO practice
Treatment and referrals only after consultation with your general practitioner
Automatic referral reporting

You always consult your general practitioner and follow the recommended treatment; you can choose any doctor working as a general practitioner when you sign your contract.

Treatment and referrals only after consultation with your general practitioner
If you are referred to another doctor, you must sign the letter of referral and send it to V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a

A general practitioner from our network coordinates your medical care. In addition, you have access to telemedicine and partner pharmacies.

24/7 telemedical advice as an alternative to visiting your general practitioner
Your general practitioner or the telemedical advice centre coordinates referrals to specialists
Direct access to partner pharmacies for initial consultations

Telemedicine

Basic insurance models that involve you always contacting Medi24 by phone or chat first.

You always consult Medi24 and get your medicines from partner pharmacies.

Initial contact is always through Medi24
Medi24 decides on treatment and chooses the doctor
Referrals must be agreed with Medi24
You obtain medicines through V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a’s partner pharmacies

You always consult Medi24 and follow the recommended treatment.

Initial contact is always through Medi24
Medi24 decides on treatment and chooses the doctor
Referrals must be agreed with Medi24

You consult Medi24 first and can then choose how your treatment continues.

Initial contact is always through Medi24
Treatment and choice of doctor as recommended by Medi24, free choice
Referrals are possible without consulting Medi24

Integrated care

The new basic insurance model with holistic medical care

Access to a general practitioner and free preventive services

You always contact your chosen general practitioner or health centre when you have medical concerns
Treatment and referrals in consultation with your general practitioner or health centre
You are obliged to purchase generics and biosimilars

Standard

Basic insurance model that lets you choose which doctor you would like to see

You have unlimited access to medical practitioners of your choice – anywhere in Switzerland.

Treatment and referral to the doctor or specialist of your choice
No pre-treatment or pre-referral reporting obligation

Advantages of basic insurance from V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a

Prompt calculation of benefits and reimbursement
myVisana app: simply do everything digitally
Well health app: medical advice around the clock and free of charge
Free telemedical advice around the clock
Health legal protection insurance included

What our customers say

You only really see how good an insurance company is when you actually need them. I was impressed by everything about V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a. Its hassle-free, expert and straightforward support has always made me feel I have the perfect partner by my side when it comes to my health. Never change a winning team, as they say!

My experience with V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a has been consistently very good. I always get very professional advice in response to my questions. This personal dialogue is something I really appreciate. When anything needs to be paid for, V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a deals with it quickly and straightforwardly.

Useful services for you

Smart insurance for all-round care. These services assist you:

You can speak with a medical professional from Medi24 at any time of day or night, or arrange a callback directly in the Well app.

With the health app Well, you can check symptoms, chat with a doctor or book appointments.

You can easily upload invoices and reimbursement receipts via the myVisana app or myVisana customer portal.

With ‘Emergency-Finder’, you are optimally equipped in critical medical situations. This app helps you to assess your symptoms correctly and shows you the nearest emergency ward in real time, along with its current capacity.

The cost-free service is available in the City of Bern and the surrounding metropolitan area.

See at a glance which benefits your basic insurance covers and what additional advantages our top-up insurance models offer.

Frequently asked questions about basic insurance

Basic insurance covers, for example, outpatient treatment, medically prescribed medication and hospital stays in a general ward in the canton of residence. You can find more information about the covered benefits in the overview of benefits and by using the benefit search tool.

When taking out compulsory basic insurance with V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a, you can choose the model that suits you from the following options – and benefit from attractive premiums:

The deductible is your fixed annual contribution towards doctors’ fees, hospital costs and medication costs. Only when the deductible has been used up, does the health insurance contribute towards further costs (minus the retention fee). Useful information: The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. The deductible can be chosen from between CHF 300 and CHF 2,500.

The retention fee is 10%. Once the deductible has been used up, V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a covers 90% of the cost of services for the rest of the year. You contribute 10%, but this is capped at CHF 700 per year. For children, the retention fee is capped at CHF 350.

Anyone who works at least eight hours a week for the same employer is compulsorily insured against occupational and non-occupational accidents, as per the Accident Insurance Act (AIA/UVG). However, if you are self-employed, unemployed, or employed by a company for less than eight hours a week, you must take out top-up accident insurance with your health insurance fund.

People’s requirements from compulsory basic insurance are as diverse as the people themselves. Some want a free choice of doctor, some value telemedical advice, while others would like a combined option. You can save on premiums by choosing your insurance model and deductible accordingly – the higher the deductible, the lower the premium.

The statutory notice periods for switching health insurer are the same across all insurers. It is important to note that your notice of cancellation, in writing, must reach your current health insurer by the last working day before the deadline, which is as follows:

For all basic insurance, cancellation can occur on the 31 December, with one month’s notice. The notice of cancellation must reach the health insurance fund by the 30th of November at the latest.
In the standard model (free choice of doctor, CHF 300 deductible), cancellation can also occur on the 30th of June, with three months’ notice. Here, the notice of cancellation must be delivered by the 31 March at the latest.