So I'll be arriving in about a week in Zurich to start a new job in January. And my wife and I have just discovered . . . the two of us will be three of us. (Ie, my wife's pregnant!) So my first question is: how long, after arriving in Switzerland will it before my wife will be able to get to know a doctor who can guide her through the pregnancy? As I understand it, the order of events will be: (1) arrive in Zurich, (2) move into employer-arranged temporary apartment, (3) sign-up for residence/work/both-in-one (?) permit, (4) wait to receive permit(s), (5) find and sign up for health insurance, (6) wait for health insurance to start-up, (7) find/be-allocated-to a doctor, (8) wait for appointment to see a doctor, (9) see the doctor. Are there any steps in there I can skip?
Perhaps some one could take a stab at walking a new-comer through what I should be doing upon arrival with regards to establishing the needed and wanted medical attention for my wife.
Thanks so much. Looking forward to moving to Switzerland!
(To clarify: I'm Canadian+British, my wife's Polish+German, we're moving to Zurich from Copenhagen. Having said that, here's a crazy question: what nationality will my child have?)
Congratulations! Once you have your health insurance, finding a doctor and getting an appointment shouldn't take long. You may have to call a couple before you find one taking new patients but then you normally get an appointment within a couple of days. She will then go there for her check-ups and ultrasounds during the pregnancy. Further along in the pregnancy you will also be able to visit a couple of hospitals to see which one you want to go to for the birth of you child. The main issue for you will be the fact that your wife already is pregnant when you sign up for the insurance and thus, she will only be eligible for the basic insurance if I am correctly informed. Therefore she will be somewhat limited in her choice of hospital and her doctor will not be attending the birth of your child. No need to worry though, even the "Public Service" hospitals in Switzerland hold a very high standard. The basic care at the doctors office is the same whether your general (Allgemein) or private. Regarding the nationality, you child will basically be eligible for a passport in all the countries you and your wife have passports for. The child will not however receive a Swiss passport.
I don't think that's quite right (only basic insurance). Some companies may limit you to basic insurance, but when I spoke to SWICA a long time ago, they didn't ask any questions about existing physical conditions. I even made a point of raising the issue, asking if they wanted to make sure I didn't have any existing nasties, and they said no, it wasn't an issue for the application process.
That said, if you use SWICA, tell 'em I referred you and I get 50 bucks, haha.
Seriously, though, I think insurance over here is a pretty fair deal. Even regarding the basic insurance, companies are required by law to provide you with it at the same price they provide it to anyone else, and while Swiss law gives you 3 months from arrival to get the insurance, companies are required to provide it backwards to that arrival. So step off the plane, break your leg, go to hospital, recover, go to insurance company, pick up insurance to cover that incident.
Not that that's a smart way to go about things, but it's just nice to know that you're covered the moment you arrive.
When my ex-wife and I arrived in Switzerland ( approx. 11 years ago ) she was already pregnant. The authorities, health and social would not cover her for the pregnancy.
Rather than pay for the pregnancy here,
our son was born in England.
I hope that the situation has changed but arriving in the country already pregnant was a big no no
Thanks for the quick responses! And thanks for the congratulations.
I'm feeling a lot let anxious, but your replies have brought me to new questions.
Tilia: you write "once you have health insurance . . ." But how long does it take to find and get health insurance? (Everywhere else I've lived, I've been given health insurance by the state - lucky me. Point being: I've never had to "shop around" for health insurance! Sounds bizarre.)
Corbets: it is indeed good to know that we're covered from the moment we arrive. But what is "SWICA"? I can look up their its site, but can you name other organisations like it to which I can compare it?
Panamahat:
I've read, but not remembered every word of, those threads, but thanks for the links - always helpful to have. I, too, hope thing have changed since your arrival! It would be good to hear that you've been living happily in Switzerland for 11 years.
Moreover, I have a question remaining: how long might I expect to wait to get all the paperwork required to get health insurance? What paperwork might that be? (I imagine there's a few -gungs I have get.)
I arrived here a year and half ago and was pregnant when we moved - I was only allowed basic cover as the pregnancy was a "pre existing" condition. I thought that the cover we got was much better than the NHS in the UK. I think I went straight to the hospital and they sorted out a doctor and everything for me - you can always change this but with moving I found the less you have to do with your pregnancy brain the better....
I think you can arrange cover for your wife so that she is covered from the day she arrives and then fill in all the paperwork when it arrives - just speak to the company to check this
If your company has a ahelath insurance colective contract, it is usually pretty fast.
If not, at least in the past (2003) the insurances wanted you to have the permit before they signed you up, this may be different nowadyas.
Also, pls note that by law, companies CANNOT turn you down and with regards to the basic insurance, they ALL offer the same as this is governed by law.
I guess as this is already a couple of weeks old you're already sorted and your wife has already seen a doctor? Let us know how you're getting on. It can seem daunting. I was 6 months pregnant when we moved here 7 years ago. But I found the care to be fantastic. Much better than in UK. I'm now in Kanton Zurich if you need any further help. /have any more Q's
The Government decides the catalog of treatments and medication in the basic health insurance. Consider however:
* Each insurer has its own table of insurance premiums.
* The responsiveness and flexibility varies immensely.
* Some insurers try to fob off those they suspect are bad risks, e.g. aged clients. Persistence is needed!
* Lower premiums can be obtained, if willing to accept restrictions, e.g. must go to their HMO, or their approved GP (no direct access to specialists), or must always first phone their call center.
Congratulations. First of all, don't let the logistics of the move spoil a very special time. When we moved to Zurich, my wife was already expecting. She found a doctor first, and then we made sure he was on the "list" when we chose which insurance to join. Given the invoices only come about 2-3 months after the appointment, you will have enough time to get your insurance policies into place, and the coverage is retroactive to your arrival date.
The only implication is what was mentioned by "Sharon": your health insurance will cover only the basic service (read the general ward). I have since learned that some people moving to Switzerland are fortunate enough to learn this in advance, so they can incorporate this into their relocation agreements if moving with an employer. When you sign up for insurance, you will be offered the option of a) "allgemeine": general coverage = general ward, b) "halbprivat" which is usually a shared double room, or c) "privat" which is a private room. Also it must be said that the quality/seniority of the doctors may vary according to the level you choose.
However, even if you pay the higher premiums for the half private coverage ("Halbprivat"), since you haven't been paying the premiums for long enough, you will only be covered for "allgemeine" basic service. If your employer has a good relationship with their chosen health insurance provider, you may be able to negotiate that the employer covers this, but this is by exception.
I do have a cautionary tale. Watch what you sign at the hospital when you register (anmeldung). When my wife presented her Swica card upon registering at Spital Uster, unbeknownst to us, they incorrectly checked us in under "Halbprivat". If they had checked our insurance coverage, they would have seen that we were "allgemeine". Although we didn't speak German, they had her sign some forms in German, wherein we unwittingly accepted the liability if insurance didn't cover everything. Although we never asked for an upgrade, we were offered a very nice halbprivat service. They waited until the 6th day to tell us insurance didn't cover everything. Then 3 months later we were sent a bill for more than 8,000 Swiss francs.
I am still fighting with the hospital on this, and am trying to find someone to represent me legally.
I do hope that this information will help you to avoid the mistakes I made, and enjoy what should be a truly wonderful experience for your family.
My husband has got a job in Neuchatel and we will be arriving there in august. I am now 6month pregnant( by august i will be almost 32wks) and want to know about health insurance. Can i get insurance without residence permit? Can it be done in such a little time? Is it possible to apply now? Which health insurance package will be better? I have seen that basic health insurance includes maternity costs. Or is it possible to claim afterwards if insurance is delayed? Are there good hospitals and mid-wives in Nuechatel? Hopefully it will be a normal delivery...
Please note that i am a non-EU and my husband is an EU citizen. Currently we are in Netherlands.
Check your prospective insurance terms and conditions carefully. Many insurers don't cover the delivery unless you have been with that insurer for 365 days when the baby comes.
Congratulations! You have had many responses, but I thought that I would throw in my 2 cents as well.
I live in Basel. I am in my 8th month and I recently got insurance, found an obstetrician and hospital to deliver in so I thought I would share what I have learned:
I am insured with SWICA (a popular insurance company here). My experience was not the same as Corbets (see his earlier response). There are certainly medical reasons that would have SWICA limit you to Basic insurance. My insurance agent at SWICA warned us about them (ie. If you smoke and have asthma, if you are obese (or over-weight) I can't remember which ... thankfully that didn't apply!)
*I wanted to sign up for private insurance. With respect to pregnancy they were very clear - you must deliver no sooner than 370 days after your policy start date or the delivery will only be covered at the Basic insurance level. You will not be limited to Basic level insurance if your last insurance policy was at a semi-private or private level. (You will be allowed to sign up for the same level of insurance you had before) I was very lucky, I had travel insurance that was at a 'private coverage' level, so private insurance with SWICA was no problem for me.
And yes, you need your permit to get Swiss insurance, as far as I know.
I hope you have found your wife a doctor(?) Whether or not you have insurance you can see a doctor. Routine office visits are in the vicinity of 100-200chf. I believe some doctors here will not see patients without insurance, but if you speak to the receptionist and explain your situation I am sure that you will be able to find a good obstetrician.
Please let me know if you would like to speak to my SWICA insurance agent. She was extremely helpful and really looked for ways to help us out.
Good luck and congratulations again!
Canadiangal
(Re. your baby's citizenship: If you are a Canadian who was born in Canada, you will not have to do anything your child will automatically be a Canadian citizen. However, if you were not born in Canada, you have a certain number of years ... I want to say 18 or 21 in which to claim Canadian citizenship for your child. This is a new law that you might want to be aware of. The information is available on the Bern, Canadian Embassy site)
It is a relief to hear you say that you got health insurance in Basel while 8 months pregnant.
I have just arrived here and, in the process of signing up for insurance, have discovered that I am pregnant! My husband and I are here for his job for an indefinite amount of time (ie we could go through the pregnancy here and move home a few months before the birth, or be here for the duration.) I do have a residency permit.
My first question is this: do the Pre-Existing conditions exclusions (you mention one which requires birth occur 370 days after policy start date. Another I contacted states that birth must occur 270 days after policy start date. They both seem to preclude an existing pregnancy) refer to both treatment during pregnancy (pre-natal care) in addition to the baby's birth?
Do these clauses mean that the private insurance provider does not have to cover the pregnancy -- ie pre-natal doctor visits? Or are you saying that in such a situation a pregnant woman is covered, but only by Basic Insurance (public) (unless, as in your situation one were to have private insurance prior). Will a private insurance provider cover such a situation, but at a high premium?
I.e. are you saying that the Swiss Basic Insurance (that offered and required by law) will cover a pre-existing pregnancy? If so, is there a very high deductible and/or monthly payments? (ie have i gotten myself into a VERY EXPENSIVE insurance predicament!?)
If one could be covered by private (or supplemental) insurance, are there major cost implications because of the pre-existing pregnancy? If my prior (and actually still current) policy in the US is private, does that count toward my ability to sign up for private coverage with a pregnancy?
My second (or 10th) question is this: Are there real disadvantages to the Basic Insurance for pre-natal care? It sounded to me like the real difference was the hospital accommodations (ie more private rooms with higher the supplemental insurance). Is the quality of the doctors the same?
I would love any additional help/advice you/others could give me, and would also love the name of your contact at SWICA (do they have an office in Basel?) And If you have a OB/Gyn recommendation in Basel that would be great too!
1. You will be covered at least at the Basic level of insurance. This will cover you for the same number of visits to the OB and same number of ultrasounds as if you had a higher level of insurance - so there would be no extra costs there. I don't believe that your premium would be higher, but check that please.
2. This one is important: If you are covered at a private level of insurance currently, you can get private level insurance here immediately (at least with SWICA) and to my understanding if you are currently insured at that level, it won't matter that you are pregnant - the 270 day rule doesn't apply. But again, please check this with an insurance agent. In a private message I will send you my insurance agent's contact info. I can't tell you how helpful she was with us ... she really looked for ways to get us the private insurance.
3. The difference between private and basic level insurance outside of accommodation is the level of doctors you will see. I.e. The head of Obstetrics will deliver our baby (turn up to catch the baby) ... Here the midwives do most of the work anyway.
I do have a cautionary tale. Watch what you sign at the hospital when you register (anmeldung). When my wife presented her Swica card upon registering at Spital Uster, unbeknownst to us, they incorrectly checked us in under "Halbprivat". If they had checked our insurance coverage, they would have seen that we were "allgemeine". Although we didn't speak German, they had her sign some forms in German, wherein we unwittingly accepted the liability if insurance didn't cover everything. Although we never asked for an upgrade, we were offered a very nice halbprivat service. They waited until the 6th day to tell us insurance didn't cover everything. Then 3 months later we were sent a bill for more than 8,000 Swiss francs.
Best regards.[/quote]
You knew you were allgemeine and what coverage you get but you still accepted a half private room without question ??? Sorry thats unfortunate but just a tad niave.
We are halbprivat and I was put in a halb privat room for the whole of my stay but by myself. There were not so many babies so I fugured it was that. Had not requested an upgrade or anything.
Then on the last day the nurse comes and asks me to sign that I pay the upgrade... Turns out they mixed me up with someone else and she shows me a paper and says "But you signed" and I looked and it was nto my signature! I was panicked for a moemnt thinking I must have signed somehting between one contractions and another (because frankly, in those moments you can pretty much sign anything)
So mistakes do happen and I would caution you to at least get a basic explanation of the document before signing.