Does anyone have any idea about health insurance for elderly visitors in Switzerland? I am expecting a 78 year old visitor in June. So far I have always gone to Elvia who are expensive and dont cover existiing ailments on even an emergency basis.

Online travel insurance - but you will have trouble covering a 78 year old, and it will be expensive.

This question has come up on the forum before - it depends also on what is available from their home country - some countries have 'reciprocal medical care' agreements, where you can be covered automatically - your visitor should check with their health/travel government authority in their home country.

I'm Australian and I was in the medicare office one day and an older Greek person who is resident in Australia was having a loud conversation - they had just spent $4000 on medical treatment in Greece, whilst on holidays, not realising that they were covered under reciprocal medical agreements and could have activated it if they had contacted the Australian embassy in Greece soon as they had a problem...oops !

consider insurace from country of original for your visitor.
eg. Meerkats can help in UK

No cover for existing ailments is a standard procedure with health insurance companies.
For health cover for travel, best is to try home country of the visitor
Best wishes

I can understand that. Howvever, an emergency arising out of an existing ailment is also not covered. Thats the issue.

This is surely an option. However its quite expensive. I was looking for a cheaper or at least a comparable option if possible, in CH.

I know, eventually it will be an expensive option. Unfortunately, in this case, there is no reciprocal agreement with the home country.

I've done this 4 years ago when my mom visited us. It costed 200chf for 1 month stay. I think it was at Zurich Insurance, but any insurance will have it in its portfolio.

I will enquire with Zurich. I have been doing it with Elvia and find them to be quite expensive and yet not much coverage. Thanks.

for a start, just found this link after answering your questions:
http://www.erv.ch/main.php?lang_id=2&chapter=1212

They have a leaflet in english.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/co...daymakers.html

It's like they heard your cry and wrote an article for you

Duplicated below without permission in case that page expires

Nobody will cover an existing ailment, this has to be covered under your normal health insurance otherwise everybody would come here for medical treatment on a holiday policy. It's far too open for fraud.

The existing condition itself is one thing but the emergency arising out of it, I thought, would be considered different.

No as otherwise everything would be an emergency arising.

The condition should be covered by normal usual policy, not a holiday policy