Also, if you go to see a GP and she or he decides you should see one of her or his colleagues for whatever is wrong you are usually seen quickly then too.
i would never go to the hospital unless it was really severe, or late at night.
I'm like Gata, i have never had a GP in Geneva. So far, in quite a few years, i have been to the Permanances in Chantepoulet, Paquis, and Rive. They are professional and nice people, if you are a walk in they will see you as quickly as possible and if you need another appointment they will give you a time for that.
By basic, do you mean the compulsory, required insurance? If so, specialist care is covered, just subject to the limits of your specific model.
Not only the obligatorische krankenversicherung but also packages with extra perks, such as optician, dentist etc. I myself only have the obligatorische package but my wife basically has all inclusive due to a disability she was born with. Whenever she needs specialised treatment she always makes sure she is referred by her house doctor/facharzt (consultant) as they call it here (they don't really call it a GP where I am). Suppose it will generally vary by practice or insurance provider though, some being more strict etc. I'm even guessing they don't have Die Mobiliar in the french or italian parts of Switzerland, and I don't know about Concordia lol
But yes limits of specific model/subscription is the most important. Obligatorische Krankenversicherung often only covers you for A&E and general GP visits. Not a problem if you're the picture of health but if physiotherapy, counselling, dentist, opticians or anything else specialist is needed you're basically left in the cold unless referred by your GP.
La Mobilière is certainly present in Romandie.
But you are wrong about specialists and pre-existing condtions. As Edot says, Swiss basic insurance cannot refuse you and have to, by Law, cover all pre-exisiting conditions and relevant specialist care and treatment. But with a pre-exisiting condition you can't have 'add ons' for private clinics not in the system, you may have a limited choice of the specific specialist and clinic you'd like to be treated at- or add-ons for private room, etc.
Some basic insurances are cheaper as they insist on you visiting your family doctor (GP) first- to avoir the huge cost of people going to expensive specialists for no valid reason, and also doing what some people unfortunately do, going to specialists for 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinions- until they hear what they want to hear and get the treatment they want to get. Some allow you to go to a specialist direct- but may well question this if it happens too often for no apparent reason. Seeing a specialist wihout a GP referal can take a lot longer than if the app is requested by GP.
I amy well be biaised for all sorts of reasons- but I like the UK system of being registered with 1 GP (until you or her/him decide it is best to sever the relationship for whatever reason) long-term, for the reasons given on a previous post- the wholistic approach to healthcare- and a over-view on all health related issues, treatment and drugs taken.
This actually made me remember a huge reason for having a GP in terms of treatment. I know this to be a fact with Concordia with counselling and gynecology, but Concordia will only partner with certain practices for insurance/cost reasons. There are specific lists of insurance friendly practices somewhere, and your doctor will usually refer you to somebody specific or give you a list of choices.
Thanks, learned something new lol. Didn't think that Die Mobiliar would also operate under the french and italian naming conventions for their respective cantons.
La Mobilière works in conjunction with Sanitas for health insurance. The basic LaMal insurance is covered by Sanitas and La Mobilière covers for supplementary add ons.
Concordia also exists in Romandie.
Basic obligatory insurance will cover specialists, physiotherapy etc without going via the GP unless you have chosen the GP model for your insurance.( and even then they usually pay unless you make a habit if it).
It's often easier and quicker to get a specialist appointment via the GP especially for specialisms with a shortage of doctors where most are not accepting new patients.
My experience is...if you want to make an appointment with a "famous" doctor (eg he is the only one in 10km around) you wait wait wait and may get your appointment in weeks time... if you just "go there", they can not refuse you and will help you... yes, you need to wait also but only hours (hopefully less) and not weeks...
To be honest I think it depends where you live.
In Valais, the service from my GP is excellent. If you are ill, they will see you immediately or at least the same day.
Also, access to specialists, consultants and surgeons can be very quick.
Compared to the UK... Well, lets be honest, you have to pre-empt being ill in the UK for booking an appointment.
In the UK........In Switzerland. You get good and bad doctors. To say it's better in CH or UK is nonsense. You could be lucky and find a good GP or unlucky and find an awful one.
True. Our assessment of something depends on our past experience. I had a superbly good doctor in the UK (and a not so good one too) and was satisfied with the A&E section (unlike many others- who had a horrible time in NHS hospitals and practices). On the other hand, I am not so satisfied with the doctors and hospitals in Switzerland (unlike the majority of those I talk to- who sing praises of the Swiss healthcare)
Agreed. However in the UK doctors have to do 4 years of training on top of their medical training to become GPs- and are trained by experienced GPs on supervision for long periods of in house training during that time- and failed if they do not make the grade. In Switzerland, GPs are often doctors who have worked in hospitals in other specialities and then become GPs for all sorts of good or bad reasons- without any specialist GP training.
As said before, a school friend of mine, for instance, was a specialist orthopeadic surgeon all his life- never quite made the top and becamse desilusionned, and decided to 'become' a GP aged 56, without any specialist training- which would be impossible in the UK.
But yes, good and bad everywhere.