I did read something on the hospital website that was consistent with what meloncollie said above, so that's why I asked. Also, when I was referred to my oncologist, I asked him if I would be treated any differently than a patient who had private or semi private and he told me that I would not.
I've not seen any difference in my treatment for breast cancer based on the fact that I had only the basic coverage, except that when I had surgery, I was in the 4-person room (though there were only two of us there). If I'd been hospitalized later on because of infection risk during chemo, I probably would have been in a private room (they really do have to isolate you).
I've probably incurred somewhere between CHF 50K and 75K in health care costs this year, of which I've paid CHF 300, plus CHF 700, and a few hundred more for the odd thing that's not covered, in addition to our premiums. A bone density test, a flu shot, weird stuff. Radiation alone was 18K, but I didn't pay for any of it. I guess it just depends on your illness, too - but more stuff was covered than in the US, and for less money. There was never a question about any of the drugs I received, some of which are rather pricey.
I've not had any trouble with my insurer either, and that's a big reason why I'm not switching, despite the fact that we're going to have at least a 10% increase in our premium once we move to Zurich. Maybe I'll change next year, I don't know. I know that all insurers have to offer the same coverage, but it seems that there are subtle differences in the "customer service/billing" component and I don't have a lot of patience for that crap, especially in German.
One big reason why I would not even consider living in Schwyz was the lack of specialists, although starting in 2012, the basic insurance does allow you to get coverage outside your canton.