Planning for a hospital stay in the best possible way

Your insurance cover during a hospital stay

Basic insurance covers the costs of medically necessary treatment in a general ward at a hospital included in the cantonal list of hospitals for your canton of residence.
With top-up hospital insurance, benefit from more comfort in a single or double room.
You can freely choose the physician you would like to treat you depending on the hospital insurance you have chosen.
Top-up insurance may also cover treatment in hospitals outside the canton.
Depending upon the product option chosen, top-up insurance also covers special medical benefits over and above basic medical care.

This means you can prepare in the best possible way for a planned hospital stay

A planned hospital stay requires careful preparation – this is the only way of ensuring everything happens smoothly and you receive the best possible care. Some practical tips are provided below concerning the most important steps before, during and after a hospital stay.

Before your hospital stay

You need to check your current insurance cover in advance of your hospital stay. Mandatory basic insurance covers the costs of stays in hospitals included in the list of hospitals for your canton of residence.
Please be aware that additional costs may be incurred if you stay in a hospital outside the canton or choose a semi-private or private ward. These costs are not covered by basic insurance. Taking out top-up hospital insurance may make sense in such cases.
You have an essentially free choice hospital. However, basic insurance only covers the costs of your hospital stay according to the tariff in your canton of residence. You will need to bear yourself any additional costs for more expensive hospitals outside the canton. It is therefore worth getting information at an early stage and, if appropriate, taking out top-up hospital insurance.
You should also be aware that benefits are not available for some hospitals. You can find out more about these restrictions in the list of restrictions of hospital choice.
Confirmation of cost coverage must be obtained from V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a for planned hospital stays. This amounts to a declaration of consent to covering the planned treatment costs. As a general rule, the hospital requests confirmation of cost coverage directly from your health insurer.

While you are in hospital

While you are in hospital, your basic insurance covers the costs of medically necessary benefits such as physicians’ fees, care, medication and accommodation in a shared room.

However, you must also contribute to the costs of the hospital stay. These costs include the deductible selected, the retention fee and a hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day. Children under 18 and young adults under 25 who are still in education are exempt from the hospital contribution.

You will require specific top-up hospital insurance should you wish to receive additional benefits such as a single room or treatment by a senior consultant.

After you leave hospital

Depending on the circumstances, rehabilitation, physiotherapy or care at home may be necessary following a hospital stay. Clarify at an early stage which services your insurance will cover and whether confirmation of cost coverage is necessary.
If rehabilitation needs to be requested, your doctor will submit this request to your health insurance provider. The health insurance provider will then decide within a few days, depending on your medical situation, who will bear the costs.
After you leave hospital, you will receive a bill for the services provided. Check it carefully and compare the bill against the benefits covered by your insurance. We will be pleased to assist you if you have any questions or if anything is unclear.

Frequently asked questions about hospital stays

In the general ward of a hospital on the cantonal list of hospitals for your canton of residence, basic insurance covers the costs of medically necessary services: treatment, nursing, medication and accommodation in a multi-bed room.

The costs of accommodation in a single-bed room or treatment by a senior consultant, for example, are not covered – this requires top-up insurance. You have to pay the deductible, the retention fee and a daily hospital contribution of CHF 15 yourself.

In principle, the hospital can be chosen freely. Each canton determines for itself which hospitals are necessary for its population’s primary healthcare and includes these in its cantonal list of hospitals. Basic insurance covers the costs of stays in hospitals on the cantonal list of hospitals for your canton of residence.

Please note, however, that basic insurance only covers costs according to the tariff in your canton of residence. Unless you have hospital top-up insurance, you will need to pay any additional costs for more expensive hospitals outside the canton.

Even with the very affordable ‘Hospital general’ top-up insurance, you are optimally covered in the general ward of all acute-care hospitals throughout Switzerland.

We also recommend checking the V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a hospital list before choosing a hospital. Among other things, it shows which clinics, depending on the hospital ward, are not available for selection. This does not apply in emergencies.

Check beforehand which services your insurance covers and whether the chosen hospital is recognised. The hospital usually requests confirmation of cost coverage from us directly. If you have top-up insurance, we will gladly check whether services such as a single-bed room or treatment by the senior consultant are covered.

The costs of medically necessary services are covered by basic insurance, as long as the hospital is recognised. You contribute by paying the deductible, the retention fee and a hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day. Additional services, such as a single-bed room, can also be covered by our hospital top-up insurance.

On average, the costs incurred for a night in hospital amount to around CHF 2,500. Depending on the treatment and the hospital, the costs can be significantly higher. These costs are mainly covered by basic insurance and the canton of residence. You pay a hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day, as well as the deductible and retention fee. Additional services, such as a single room, incur extra costs, which can be covered by hospital top-up insurance.

The costs are shared between the basic insurance and the canton of residence: usually, the canton covers at least 55% and the health insurance fund at most 45%. You personally pay a hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day, as well as the deductible and retention fee. To cover extras such as a single room, you need top-up insurance.

Pack your insurance card, important medical documents, e.g. clinical reports or your medication list, and personal items such as comfortable clothing, toiletries and your glasses. Your smartphone and its charging cable, books or headphones are also helpful for entertainment. However, you should leave valuables at home.