Every person who is legally resident in France for more than 3 months can apply for health insurance under the " Couverture maladie universelle " system. The basic tier of that scheme is free for those not earning more than EUR 9'164 per year, and if you earn more, you pay 8% of whatever income above that threshold you declare to the French tax authorities. This is not capped , unlike your private insurance, and should give you peace of mind in case really go pear-shaped.
I know I'm not your mother and I appreciate that you're know what you're doing. But I'm very thick-skinned, so here's one more suggestion:
Thats good advice. thanks! Only just declared myself to the frenchies.. . . So officially im here since Aug. Im sure itl be grand! Itl all work out anyways.. i just need to take some steps towayrds grand!
Not sure if this helps or not??
My wife ( and I) just a baby, delivered here in Zurich, full private international insurance. From day one all the way through post delivery check-ups and including c-section was just over 32,000chf. Stay was in a very nice private hospital with private ward. So, not 'cheap' but better than the alternative of having baby in the UK. So much better was the experience of our second child's birth that the wife was thinking of having another!!!
(Maybe should've gone back to the Uk )
So, more than double what it costs in Switzerland if you earn the mythical 120K!
Tom
Just one other little thing to add. I upgraded to private for delivery and hospital stay with my second son and stayed 4 days. When I was leaving I was charged for 5 days and of course they count it in days from the minute you arrive until the moment you leave and not nights that you stay. They are clearly asked this a lot as a friend also upgraded and was charged the extra day and was yelled at that it is not a hotel.
In other words the minute the clock strikes midnight a new day starts and it costs you another few hundred francs. I was glad I had eaten my lunch (and breakfast) before I left, at least I felt I got something for my money!
Yes, yes but of course. I'm just talking about full cover here, which you get for an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. I've seen many threads on this subject and it's a very common myth that the Swiss insurance covers all these costs with no contribution from you.
If you have a regular income, you can join the regular French system. Which is still more expensive than CH basic, but then the CMU really is for those who would otherwise fall through the net, like casual workers or those who have never paid contributions in France, and are therefor not member of another "regime maladie". And it's quite cheap for those - if you earn EUR 20'000 per year, you pay EUR 870 or so per year - go try and find a Swiss insurance for EUR 73/month.
Indeed. Franchise and deductions can add up quickly.
Ok. Here is a short answer to your question: The cost of giving birth in CH is anywhere between 0CHF and the heavenly sky.
If you check the Hirsladen klinik sites they sometimes have the prices on what things cost. However, as the others said, we don't see the bill for the actual cost for the hospital stay and delivery so have no idea of what the real cost is as it will depend on many things. I'd heard around 15 k mentioned. For the pre-natal care 2000 € may barely cover it.
So my international health insurance is canceled. Trying for Swiss. think the average price for me is about 350 per month which is OK. Just hopeit wont be a big problem living in Fr.
But you can't be insured in Switzerland if you live in France??? I know I am not your mother either- and that you don't want to discuss health insurance, just costs. But EF members are unlikely to keep quiet if you intend to defraud the health service WE pay dearly for. Rant over.
Can't you get the French frontalier insurance (not sure if you mentioned where you work)? Will cover you in France and for a supplement, also in Switzerland (although I have not taken out this option myself).
I would like to mention though that if it's just a particular hospital where your friends had unpleasant experiences, what about finding another one? I've recently had a lot of dealings with the French health care system, including surgery and a week in hospital, and am absolutely satisfied with everything, found the care most excellent.
Its just that, because i dont drive, the hospital in Basel is easy for me to get to. Also, the one in france is alot further away and only opens till 8. The closest in germany is Lorrach and need to drve there too! Also the language is easier for me!
Will keep researching the insurance though! Thanks for the advice!
From what I can see on the hospital bit, there are three costs showing. One is the birth certificate for 38 CHF, which I had to pay directly. There are two others for just under 1500 CHF - one of which matches a statement I've received thus far from my health insurance (paid directly by them). So I'll say around 3000 CHF total for an uncomplicated birth with two days in the hospital (epidural included in there). I checked out around 6-8 hours after giving birth.
Oh and for the prenatal care, without actually calculating it all I'd say somewhere around 3000-4000 CHF. I was, however, around a week overdue and had a few extra visits and monitoring during that time as I'd essentially gone into labor but wasn't dilating very well.
checked out 6-8 hours after giving birth? You were robbed! My favorite nights as a mother were the first ones in the hospital where I could roll the bassinet down to the nursery for the team of "nannies" to take care of the little one for a few hours
I found something about the costs in Swiss hospitals
Die Kosten für eine Geburt in einer Klinik betragen je nach Kanton zwischen 3600 – 4800 Franken in der Allgemeinen Abteilung, 8000 -11‘000 in der Halbprivaten Abteilung bis 9500 – 13‘500 Franken in der Privatabteilung oder einem Privatspital. Bei einem Kaiserschnitt fallen Kosten zwischen 6000 bis 19‘000 Franken an (Quelle Babycenter).
According to the canton 3'600 - 4'800 in the general section, 8000 - 11000 in semi private section and 9'500 - 13'500 in the private section or a private hospital. A caeserean section 6'000 - 19'000.
Quite the contrary. I chose to leave as I felt quite good and wanted to recuperate in the comfort of my own home. =D
first child, right? By the time I had my 3rd, I was quite happy to have a bit of quiet time in the hospital
Hehe, bless! I can only imagine. I may be like that for my next ones then. Mind you, my mum was there for the delivery and several weeks afterwards, so that definitely made coming home a lot more enticing too.