Med Direct at a glance
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Free choice of general practitioner when you sign your contract
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Single point of contact for all medical concerns
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Your general practitioner coordinates your treatment and ensures that you always receive the right medical care, including from specialists or in hospital
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Free, round-the-clock telemedical advice with Medi24 and the Well health app; includes health legal protection insurance
If you opt for Med Direct, you are helping to keep health costs under control. As a result, you benefit from lower premiums. But we can only give you lower premiums if you follow a few rules. You will find details here.
Med Direct discounts
If you choose to pay your premium every six months, you will get a discount of 1%. This rises to 2% if you pay annually.
By always contacting your chosen general practitioner first, you are actively helping to reduce health costs and avoid duplication during treatment. In return, Visana offers you a model-based discount on your basic insurance premium.
If you work for the same employer for more than eight hours a week, you are insured against non-occupational as well as occupational accidents. This means you can exclude accidents from your basic insurance.
Basic insurance offers selectable deductibles in addition to the standard annual deductible of CHF 300. People aged 19 and over who are insured with Visana can choose a deductible of CHF 500, CHF 1,000, CHF 1,500, CHF 2,000 or CHF 2,500. The higher the deductible chosen, the greater the discount. By choosing the right insurance model and deductible for their needs, policyholders can calculate their premium in such a way that they can manage their annual total cost contribution risk.
Is the Med Direct general practitioner model right for you?
Basic insurance under the Med Direct general practitioner model is suitable for you if you:
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like to consult the same doctor every time.
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prefer to discuss medical concerns with your regular general practitioner first.
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don’t like telephone consultations but prefer face-to-face contact.
How the Med Direct general practitioner model works
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If you have health problems or want to make an appointment for treatment or an examination, you always contact your general practitioner first.
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Your general practitioner provides your treatment and, if necessary, refers you to a hospital, specialist or other service provider.
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Send confirmation of your referral to Visana.
Are you looking for a new general practitioner, network of doctors or group practice nearby? Our general practitioner search feature will help you find and choose a new medical practitioner from our list of doctors quickly and easily.
Exceptions and obligations
You must always consult your general practitioner whenever you have medical concerns. You can only consult other service providers – particularly specialists – if you have a referral from your general practitioner.
If you are referred to another service provider, you must notify us in writing by means of a confirmation of referral completed by your general practitioner. You will find this document here. You can print it out, have it signed by your general practitioner and then either send it to us or scan it online.
Med Direct gives you a single point of contact for all medical issues, attractive premiums and round-the-clock advice. We can only provide these advantages if you comply with the obligations set out above. If you fail to follow your Med Direct treatment pathway by going straight to a specialist, for example, we will take the following action:
The first time you fail to follow your Med Direct clinical pathway, we will send you a written reminder of your obligations. The second and third times, we reserve the right to reduce the benefits we pay by 50% or 100% respectively. The fourth time, we will transfer you from Med Direct to ordinary basic insurance.
Your advantages with Med Direct
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One contact person for all medical concerns
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Free telemedical advice over the phone or from DoctorChat via the Well app – around the clock
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Attractive premiums and discounts
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Health legal protection insurance included
We will be happy to take the time to explain the advantages of the various models to you at no obligation.
Useful services for you
Cleverly insured, optimally supported. These services assist you:
You can easily upload invoices and reimbursement receipts via the myVisana app or myVisana customer portal.
Be it a planned operation or an emergency – here you will find all the information you need about your hospital stay: from the choice of hospital, to cost coverage, right through to helpful services for patients and their relatives.
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.
Insurance that complements this product
Frequently asked questions about the Med Direct general practitioner model
All Visana-recognised, FMH-certified doctors authorised to practise, who specialise in general medicine, internal medicine or paediatrics and work in primary healthcare, are considered general practitioners. Visana-recognised doctors with equivalent training are also considered general practitioners.
If we cease to recognise a doctor, we notify the insured person in writing, at least three months in advance. The insured person can then either designate another general practitioner or transfer to ordinary basic insurance. Upon any transfer to another insurer, the statutory cancellation regulations apply.
The general practitioner basic insurance model Med Direct offers the following advantages:
- Lower premiums
- Your GP coordinates all your treatment; you can avoid duplicate examinations and unnecessary costs
- You build a long-term relationship with your GP as your trusted medical advisor
- Your doctor has a better overview of your medical history and any medication you are taking
- Specialists are only consulted when this is justified
If you do not follow the clinical pathway set out for Med Direct and, for example, consult a different doctor or go straight to a specialist, you will be reminded of your obligations in writing. On any second or third occasion, the benefit payments from Visana will be reduced by 50% or 100% respectively. If there is a fourth incident, you will be transferred from Med Direct to ordinary basic insurance.
You usually need a referral from your general practitioner for any visit to a specialist. However, you can use the following services without a referral:
- gynaecological check-ups and treatment
- maternity
- outpatient eye examinations and optical aids
- dental treatment
- emergency care
In an emergency, it can be difficult to contact your general practitioner – especially if the emergency occurs outside the practice’s opening hours. You can go straight to an out-of-hours practice or a hospital, but you must inform your GP as soon as possible afterwards.
Yes, you can change your GP at the start of any month, but only once per calendar year.
You can use the GP search tool to find a new Visana-recognised GP.
You must notify your agency of the change of GP within 30 days, preferably in writing, for example by email.
Downloads
Conditions of insurance
Overview of benefits
Fact sheets
Forms
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