The most important terms
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Basic insurance is compulsory and the benefits are defined by law; all health insurers provide the same benefits. Top-up insurance is voluntary and adds to the benefits from basic insurance.
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The insurance premium is the fixed amount that you pay for your insurance, as stated in your insurance contract. Premiums can be paid once a month, once every half-year, or once a year.
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The deductible is your contribution to basic insurance.
Useful to know: The higher your deductible, the lower your premium. -
Once the deductible has been used up, the health insurer pays the costs. You pay the retention fee and 10% of the costs.
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When setting up your basic insurance, you can choose between different models:
free choice of physician, general practitioner, telemedicine, combined model. -
If you are employed and work more than eight hours a week, you are insured against accidents through your employer.
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People on low incomes can apply for financial support in the form of a “premium reduction”.
The Swiss healthcare system
All persons living in Switzerland are required by law to take-out health insurance. Each person, including children, is insured separately. We have compiled the most important information for you:
Insurance model
For basic insurance, you choose a model that best suits your needs. Different models come with different premiums.
- Traditional model: Free choice of physician
You choose a doctor you trust and can consult a specialist direct. - General practitioner models:
Your family doctor or a group practice is your first point of contact. - Telemedicine models:
You always contact Medi24 first – by phone or via chat. - Combined model: General practitioner or telemedicine
You can contact your family doctor or Medi24 – the choice is entirely yours.
Visana offers a variety of models to help you save on premiums. The combined model “Combi Care” is our most affordable model.
Each health insurance company offers different types of top-up insurance. These frequently cover costs relating to stays in hospital or abroad, treatment by specialists, alternative medicine, preventive examinations, tooth corrections and vaccinations.
Your basic insurance premium is determined by your place of residence, age, insurance model and deductible. The deductible is the portion of medical costs paid each year by people with basic insurance. There are various levels of deductible to choose from, between CHF 300 and CHF 2500. Your health insurance provider will not cover any costs until you have first paid this amount yourself.
Once the deductible amount has been reached, the health insurance provider pays its share of any further costs. From then on, you only pay the retention fee defined by law.
- Adults: 10% retention fee, up to a maximum of CHF 700
- Children: 10% retention fee up to CHF 350
However, if you have an employment contract and work at least eight hours a week, you already have accident insurance cover through your employer. This means you can exclude accident insurance from your health insurance to reduce your health insurance costs.
If you are no longer receiving social assistance and are financially independent, you will automatically leave the Canton’s collective health insurance and will have to take out your own individual insurance.
A switch to individual insurance and protection status S means that you have to pay health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses yourself with immediate effect.
This can have major financial consequences. People on low incomes can apply to the social insurance office for a premium reduction. We will be happy to assist you to do so. Contact Visana’s specialists for personal, optimal assistance and support in your current situation.
Frequently asked questions
All persons with protection status S from the cantons of Bern, Solothurn or Fribourg are insured with Visana.
You have basic insurance, otherwise known as ‘compulsory health insurance’ (CHI). You also have the option of taking out top-up insurance. These are two legally distinct types of insurance.
We would be happy to advise you about the advantages of our top-up insurance, e.g. for hospitalisation, outpatient treatment or travel abroad, in a one-to-one discussion.
We are currently offering group consultation appointments with a translator who speaks Ukrainian. You can book your appointment here: Book appointment
Switzerland has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Primary healthcare is comprehensive and of a high standard. This system comes at a cost, which is reflected in the premiums.
If you work at least 8 hours a week for an employer, you do not need your own accident insurance, as you are insured against accidents through your employer.
The deductible, which you are free to choose, is the maximum amount that you are responsible for paying in the event of illness. It ranges from a minimum of CHF 300 to a maximum of CHF 2,500. You can also choose an amount in between CHF 500, CHF 1,000, CHF 1,500 or CHF 2,000.
The higher the deductible you choose, the lower your premium. This enables you to reduce your monthly costs.
The deductible for children is lower than for adults because children require medical services more often and the cost of their treatment can place a financial burden on parents. Health insurers factor this into their calculations for children.
Parents only pay the retention fee that is levied on their child’s medical costs. This will not exceed CHF 350 per year. If several children from the same family are insured with Visana, the family will not have to contribute more than CHF 950 towards the children’s combined medical costs each year.
The deductible to choose depends on your individual situation and medical history. If you are healthy and rarely require medical services, a higher deductible can be a sensible way to save on premiums. However, if you regularly require medical services, a lower deductible could be more suitable.
By changing your deductible or insurance model, for example. The higher the deductible, the lower your premium. You can always change your deductible as of 1 January, or choose a different, cheaper insurance model, such as Combi Care.
The first person you contact is a general practitioner. This is your own general practitioner, a doctor from the medical network, or a group practice.
You will receive our letters and emails in German. We trust you will understand that we are unable to translate our letters into languages other than the national languages of Switzerland.
The insurance ends in accordance with the Swiss laws HIA/KVG and IPA/VVG. Notice of cancellation must be given in writing and by the appropriate deadline, meaning it must reach Visana no later than the last working day before the start of the notice period .
To cancel basic insurance, the letter must reach Visana by the last working day in November at the latest. The notice period for top-up insurance is three months, so the letter must reach the insurer by the last working day in September at the latest.
You receive benefits statements whenever you make use of a service – for instance when you have visited a doctor. The doctor usually sends the invoice directly to us and we pay it, before reclaiming your portion from you. The benefits statement for outpatient treatment contains a lot of important information:
- Details of the insured persons.
- Details of the service provider / invoicing party (doctor, therapist, pharmacy, laboratory, medication etc.).
- Date and duration of treatment.
- Details of how the benefits are calculated.
The first part states whether the service in question is covered by basic insurance (under HIA/KVG) and/or top-up insurance (under IPA/VVG). The next three columns contain more information:
- Deductible: This is the amount that you have chosen as your contribution to the cost of doctors, hospitalisation, medication, etc.
- Retention fee: The health insurance provider contributes 90% of the treatment costs that exceed the agreed deductible. You have to pay the remaining 10% as a ‘retention fee’, up to a maximum of CHF 700 per year.
- Uninsured sum: Services that are not covered by either basic insurance or top-up insurance. You have to pay these costs yourself.
Below the list, you can see how much the health insurance fund has paid the service provider. Visana pays the full invoiced amount, then turns to you to reclaim the portion that you have to pay.
In some cases, you pay the invoiced amount directly to the service provider yourself. Visana then pays you the portion that it covers as your health insurer. At the bottom of the page, you will find an overview of your out-of-pocket expenses for the current calendar year.
The benefits statement for inpatient treatment contains more or less the same information. The only difference is that you have to pay a legally prescribed hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day from your own pocket for inpatient treatment. You will find this information, the total amount and the retention fee in the cost-breakdown table, under ‘your share’.
This depends on your chosen deductible and the retention fee.Once the deductible has been fully used up, the costs are covered by Visana and you contribute by paying a 10% retention fee.
No. Dental costs are only covered by top-up insurance (dental insurance).
Yes, these costs are refunded by basic insurance.
Yes, basic insurance pays for this service.
If you feel unwell, you are free to choose to go to an emergency doctor. You can go to an emergency ward at any time, 24 hours a day. However, it is important that the visit to the emergency doctor is declared an emergency to ensure that basic insurance covers the cost.
No. You can also take out top-up insurance with a different health insurer. However, it is worth taking a look at our wide and varied range of products.
In Switzerland, everyone has to make a contribution to healthcare costs. Anyone with basic insurance (which is compulsory for everyone) contributes by paying a deductible and the fixed annual retention fee of CHF 700. Once the deductible has been paid, you pay an additional 10% retention fee in each case, up to a maximum of CHF 700 per year.
Questions about Visana
Visana offers two different general practitioner models:
- Med Direct (general practitioner practice)
- Managed Care (network of doctors or group practice)
Med Direct gives you a free choice of general practitioner. With the Managed Care model your first point of call is a general practitioner from the Visana network of doctors or a group practice. Your chosen general practitioner or group practice will coordinate your treatment and refer you to specialists or hospitals if necessary.
Combi Care combines the general practitioner model with telemedicine. Your first point of call is your general practitioner or the Medi24 telemedical advice centre, which you can contact by phone or chat. After your initial consultation, you will be referred to a specialist or hospital.
There are certain situations where you can consult a specialist directly. In the following situations, this is appropriate and permitted:
- Emergencies (hospital or any doctor)
- Outpatient eye examinations
- Gynaecological check-ups
- Obstetric care
In emergency situations, you should inform your general practitioner or group practice at the earliest possible opportunity.
People insured under the Managed Care model can choose any of the doctors on the list of Managed Care doctors. They can change their chosen doctor no more than once in a calendar year. This is subject to a notice period of one month, from the beginning of the month.
People insured under the Managed Care model have an obligation to report their change in insurance and doctor. The doctor is then released from their duty of medical confidentiality and is permitted to pass on all treatment information and related documents to the new Managed Care doctor.
Switzerland is divided into various “premium regions”. This means your insurance premiums vary, depending on your commune and place of residence.
You can download the Visana app free of charge from the App Store or Google Play. The Visana app and myVisana customer portal are a convenient way to manage your insurance administration online. From the customer portal, you can:
- Access your entire family’s policies, invoices and benefits statements
- Photograph, upload and transfer medical invoices straight to Visana
- Check Visana’s cost contributions, as well as your retention fee
- Check deductible options and change them online
- Get push notifications when new documents arrive
- Access and view insurance cards for the whole family
- “Translate” invoices from doctors and hospitals into plain language
You can also access the myPoints digital bonus programme from the app. If you participate in myPoints, you could receive up to CHF 120 each year for exercising and remaining a loyal customer. Important: myPoints can only be used by insured persons over the age of 12 who hold Visana top-up insurance.
The Visana app also includes Well, the Swiss health app. You can use Well to discuss medical issues with a doctor free of charge via Doctor Chat, check your symptoms or make appointments with doctors.
To reduce the amount of paper we use, all insured persons receive their documents and invoices in the app.
Health insurance funds have no legal obligation to agree to payment by instalment. For that reason, they are entitled to demand a surcharge to cover the additional workload.
Yes, if your health insurance is managed through your canton. As soon as you take out your own insurance, your insurance card will be sent to you.
Vouchers are issued by the canton or social partners.
People seeking protection who have protection status S and require social assistance can obtain vouchers from the regional partner that provides them with financial support. The regional partners in the Canton of Bern are:
Asyl Berner Oberland
Swiss Red Cross
City of Bern social services department for asylum seekers
ORS Service AG
Stiftung Zugang B
We cannot switch your contract until we have received official notification that you are transferring. In this case, please ask the canton when they will be providing notification.
Asyl Berner Oberland
Swiss Red Cross
City of Bern social services department for asylum seekers
ORS Service AG
Stiftung Zugang B