Hi, I m swiss citizen and recently moved to the U.K.. I canceled my swiss residency (so I dont pay taxes in Switzerland and I do not have the basic health insurance). I wonder if I should get a private insurance in the U.K. or rely on the assumption that I can return to Switzerland if something serious happens.

If I now get seriously ill, can I simply return to Switzerland and get medical treatment (e.g. cancer or any expensive operations etc)? I understand that the basic coverage does cover preexisting conditions. Is this always the case, also if I just got diagnosed with something serious abroad and want to return to Switzerland for treatment?

Thanks for your help

M

Hi mte,

let me summarized:
- you are Swiss
- you live in the UK now
- No Health insurance in UK and in CH

Your Question:
If I now get seriously ill, can I simply return to Switzerland and get medical
treatment.

My Answer:
Yes, but you have to apply for a health insurance in Switzerland

Risk:
If you get seriously ill, probably the basic insurance will not be enough for you and the possibility to entry in the half private or private will be very difficult.

My suggestion:
According to the risk, I suggest you to apply for a Health insurance in UK

Hope I could help you

Regards
priorfd

If you were to get seriously ill living as you do in the UK, you could just go to the doctors / hospital. For free. For nothing. National health service is free for people who are legally resident in the UK. You do not need a private insurance.

I presume if you are currently resident in the UK, that you're paying National Insurance contributions in the UK, in which case you are covered for treatment by the NHS. You are covered for emergency treatment only in the EU and Switzerland under this arrangement.
If want to be treated regularly in Switzerland, you will have to move back here, take out Swiss medical insurance. The basic insurance does not allow exclusions so will cover treatment for all conditions. The supplementary insurance will normally exclude pre-existing conditions.

Besides your question, even if you can or could just come back to CH when sick, is it fair to ask insurance payers in CH to pay for you so you can save money? This system works if everyone does their share.

How about taking UK insurance that will cover you internationally?

False.

Anyway. If you're living in the UK now, use the NHS. Free at the point of use and quite good for serious illness. Private insurance in the UK is unlikely to be any better for serious stuff.

The NHS is a great service, however it is exhausted. If you need treatment for something, you will most likely be put on a waiting list. I have acquaintances that have been put on a waiting list that required bypass surgery! I always used BUPA in the UK, a private medical insurance that is well priced and a lot cheaper, and better, than Swiss medical. BUPA also offer international coverage, for slightly more money.
For comprehensive cover for a 40 year old female, it's just short of 80GBP per month, cheap!

http://www.bupa.co.uk/

It dies not cover going to the Dr, or childbirth its totally different to Swiss insurance

Did anyone mention the NHS yet?

Ahhh yeah, 6 times

Seriously, get private. Probably in Switzerland you get better care (compared to private in the UK), although going back and forth for investigations might be impractical?

The only difference as far as I have seen between private and basic insurance in CH is only to be seen if you need to go into hospital where you have hotel conditions but are stuck in a single ward or with another person. I often wonder why people pay so much more than me when all my needs are always, and always have, been met.

The wine list is better if you have private insurance.

When I had a simple complaint, I'd go see my GP, who was excellent, and yes, free. No need to bother with insurance here. But for more complex issues, and I'm sure they cover childbirth, BUPA s the only way. Private room also when hospitalized in their marvelous facilities!

I was not comparing basic vs supplemental cover in CH. Both are private, as far as I know.

The situation is different in the UK. There's state-provided health care (paid for through general taxation, not insurance or fees) - but of course like any "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" government managed system it doesn't quite work.

And there's private care which is optional, but it shouldn't be confused with supplemental Swiss policies, as it's a replacement for almost all non-GP state services.

For instance, if you need to see a specialist, do an MRI or get surgery done you might have to wait for weeks or more likely months if only using state services. If you have private insurance, it will be much faster (the essential difference), in a nicer hospital, you'll be treated respectfully rather then indifferently, edible food etc.

It's a very odd question, if you're seriously ill, I would avoid any travel.

NHS mentioned for a sixth time. You queue for non-urgent procedures - if you have a ruptured appendix or are a car crash victim, there are no queues.

If you have something that cannot wait, you can supplement your treatment from your pocket.

Symphara- I lived in all my adult life, had my children there - etc, etc - and there are no waiting lists are currently non-existent for serious illness of emergencies. I've always be treated professionally, with respect - but yes the food could be better, and some of the wards are too large.

It makes me very upset when people bash the NHS (and the State education system - which my children attended, and my grand-children are attending - with great success).

Excellent advice.

It's certainly not my intention to upset you. Unlike you, I think that both are sub-mediocre, very expensive (we pay extortionate tax rates to support them), and I find it outrageous that we're forced to pay twice to get good services.

Thanks for all the advice! What I did now is sign up with BUPA in UK and put my private insurance in switzerland on hold (still paying 30%) which means I can come back anytime and they retake me without health check so would cover preexisting conditions.
So, I should be pretty covered in case. And yes NHS is good for minor problems and maybe also for urgency care but I went to a GP who had exactly 3min time for my problem and then gave me some pain killer and a referral to a specialist in September. My appointment with him is in APRIL (??!!). Seems almost funny actually.

I can live with that because I can afford triple medical coverage. But what about others, I hope the situation will improve sometime

You must be mad paying for health insurance times 3 clearly you have more money then sense you would be better with an international private insurance rather then looking for a private cover in each country you want to visit. We already have insurance valid in any country from switzerland

There is no way a private policy in the UK would accept anyone with prior health problems.