Hi,

I'm currently unemployed and sicked off working for medical reasons. I am being given social aid with my living costs and have also applied for assistance with health costs, but I'm a bit confused how this works.

The information I have says that this refers to "la loi d'application vaudoise du 25 ju8in 1996 de la loi fédéerale sur l'assurance-maladie (LVLAMal)"

So does anyone know how this works?

I have been told not to pay this month's insurance premium but it comes out of my account on a direct debit and I can't cancel it and I have recieved no official confirmation that I am getting this assistance, and I don't want to end up not covered because no-one paid the premium.

Then what happens with medical bills? I'm with Assura, and at the moment I'm still sending all the bills to them. Do I still do that? I have been paying 10% of all my bills but the medical costs lately have been so huge I think I must have gone over that barrier to where they cover the lot.

The thing that is worrying me the most is that my medication costs so much. A month's supply sets me back over 500 CHF. Plus I have been prescribed several other 'one off' medications which have not been cheap. Because I am on social aid I am on a very limited income and today I had to ask the pharmacist for a bill for a prescription because I do not have enough money to pay for it. Very embarrassing - and worrying because I need this stuff to get better and what do I do if they refuse to bill me?

I'm very confused and wishing I was back in England when my prescription pre-payment card solved all these worries...

Any help or advice gratefully recieved.

Sorry I can't help you on the first question. But here is a suggestion for the second part. Show your health insurance card to the pharmacist and tell them to send the bills direct to the insurance company. They will pay the bill and invoice you later for the difference between your franchise and the amount of the bills.

At least that is what I do. At the beginning of the year they usually invoice me back the full about (but two months or so after the event) telling me that I have not covered the franchise amount, but as the year progresses it eventually drops down to about 10%.

Good luck with that,

Jim

As you have social aid, you should ask to meet a social assistant and talk of your problems with him/her. They are here to help and know very well all the stuff about that.



(I have myself a social assistant to help me and it's very helpful)

With Assura, you have to pay for the medications yourself, and then they pay you back, which is not the case with other insurance companies where the pharmacy sends the bill directly to them.

After a certain amount (to be checked with your insurance), you stop paying the 10%.

Be aware that certain medications are considered 'hors-liste' and thus not paid back by a basic health coverage.

Normally, you have to go to the Administration (for Lausanne, it is in Chauderon) with your relevant info: income, insurance contract, and last tax form. They have tabels to calculate what percentage of your monthly insurance bill they can pay depending on how much you earn.