Add family members in insurance

Finance, Taxes, Banking, Insurance and Retirement
1
Hello dear EFers.

I've searched the forums for this, but to no avail.

I am planning on being in CH in January. Thus I'll get a basic insurance with some insurance company.

My wife and 9yo son will join me sometime during summer.

At this point I'd have to add them to my insurance as well.

Is this scenario possible, or I would have to make an insurance plan with all 3 of us from the beginning?

As always, thanks in advance.

2
Generally each person is insured individually, so this will be no problem. You'll set up your policy when you arrive. When the wife and kiddo arrive, you can either get them policies with the same company or even go with different companies depending on your needs, the prices, etc.

3
I've never heard of a family policy here, it's all individual as far as I've seen in 30 years here (though I have heard of some insuring the 4th, 5th, etc. kid for free)

My wife and I don't even have the same insurance company.

Tom

4
What kind of insurance are we talking about?

Health? It is each on its own.

Content and Liability? Various Models. From each on its own up to everyone who lives in the the same household.

5
Basically you pay & then you pay more.

6
Even though I not there yet, I've realized this.

7
Hi

I do believe - and if I'm wrong someone will correct me shortly - that you get three months from arrival/registering to sort out your insurance. The cover is then "back dated" to the date of your registration. Good luck with the move.

8
Hi,

There is no as such family insurance package in Switzertand, you have to take out insurance for individual member. As soon as they will land here you have to resgister them and they will get letter to get insured that you need to submit with proof

9
I'm dugging up this topic because today i got a letter from Städtische Gesundheitsdienste.

Link to english version

In paragraph 6 it reads:

Furthermore, obligatory health insurance applies to family members (who are not in gainful employment) of persons who are obliged to take out insurance in Switzerland, if they live in an EU-member state, Iceland or Norway.

Please tell me that dorsn't mean that my wife and son have to get insured even though they 're still in Greece

10
Wow, I've never heard of that before! I would have thought it would make more sense for them to have health insurance in the country in which they are living.

edit: It says "Obligatory health insurance" not "Swiss Obligatory Health Insurance" .... so maybe proof of Greek Insurance works?

11
Reading the document, it sounds like you must!

Tom

12

No, read the document properly everyone please. Number 6 refers to cross border permit holders and their dependents, not people living and working in Switzerland.

However number 1 is wrong as there’s no requirement for foreigners to have Swiss health insurance unless they’re resident here. If you’re not registered as being resident, you’re a tourist and have no obligation to have Swiss health insurance.

13
When my husband moved here he was told that he needed health insurance for myself and our son even though we were still living in Belgium and covered by the health insurance there. We just had to send them proof from the Belgian insurance that we were covered there and everything was fine. We didn't get Swiss insurance until we moved here 18 months later.

I guess it may be the same for the OP.

14
Officially: If your wife is unemployed in Greece, then she is classed as a nicht erwerbstätige Familieängehorige, as a non working/ no own income dependent on your wage - meaning officially she needs to have Swiss health insurance (same for the childern). You will then receive the E 109 form from your health insurance, which you use to register them for health insurance in the country they live in. Unofficially: depending on the health insurer they will accept the current cover they have in Greece and you can postpone the Registration until they arrive in Switzerland - Good luck!