Hi, I have read a number of the posts regarding health insurance but can't find any relevant information regarding my health insurance problem.

I came to Switzerland initially on a 2 month contract last summer, which then became a permanent position. The company I was working for applied for a permit B dated from the end of October 2009, which I didn't recieve until early January this year. I then recieved a letter from Geneva canton saying I had to supply a copy of a certificate of health insurance to the cantonal office by 27th April.

So mid-March I applied to Sanitas through Comparis. I recieved a proposal by email, which I signed and sent off. Nearly a month went by and I heard nothing from them at all. In the end, 1 week before the deadline, I emailed sanitas telling them that I would apply to another insurance company because they had done nothing and I needed health insurance to show the cantonal authorities. After doing that, I applied to Assura through Comparis and within 2-3 days I had my certificate which I duly sent off to geneva canton. Assura backdated the insurance to the 1st January 2010 and i have been paying the premiums ever since.

However,Sanitas have continued to send me bills claiming that I owe them money. I have written to them recently, including copies of Assura medical card, copies of my emails, my Assura certificate etc. Their response has been to send me a threatening letter that I have to pay up in 15 days or they will start court action (Menace de poursuite).

Would anyone have any experience of this problem with health insurance and advise what can be done? Thanks for your response.

Sorry to hear about legal action, health Insurance is backdated to when you arrived in Switzerland, also you can only change your insurance at one point in the year. If we are talking a few hundred franks, pay it and move on. If it is more you may want to get some professional advice. The fact that you signed a contract with Sanitas, probably means that it legally binding. Good luck!

The more I learn about the system, the more I believe that it is fundamentally flawed.

You signed two contracts, one with each company? Bummer.

If you have problems with Health Insurances you
should contact the Ombudsman for Social Insurances:

https://secure.om-kv.ch/html/contact.html

You should do that immediately.

as above and make 100% sure you go through every figure they send you to make sure it is correct.

As above, if its a few hundred.. I would move on - if its more, you can try this-

I believe you can only have one insurance company for base health insurance - so the best way to go would be to ask for a certificate from Sanitas that you've been insured before Assura, then tell Assura that you've been double insured and if you can be be refunded as you need to pay Sanitas.

Its worth a try..

Okay, without trying to sound like a smart ass, you should never seek to alter/cancel signed contracts by email. Always communicate by registered mail. Having said that, I'd be very surprised if you'll have to pay two premiums. One company will have to reimburse you. I think Iggy's suggestion is a good one. Ditto prof. taratonga. You should also call Assura and explain your problem. In all likelihood the first contract will prevail. Once you've signed up, a delay of a few weeks in getting confirmation isn't at all unusual. You jumped the gun in signing the second contract and it would have been better to send a copy of the signed proposal
to the Canton with a note that you hadn't received the certificate.

Did you recieve anything else from them other than only bills? Did you only sign a proposal or also a contract?

I'm prepared to be proved wrong, but I think signing the proposal constitutes a contract since the insurance company can't reject you for basic cover. Be very careful about signing proposals in this country. In many cases it signifies acceptance and constitutes a contract.

Sorry to hear about your situation, but what is unclear from your post is for what period is Sanitas billing you - right up to date or just for Nov and Dec of last year?

Jim

I would like to thank you for all your replies. Just going through all the paperwork again, Sanitas started the policy from April 1st, as did Assura. Sanitas are charging a 370 franc additional premium on top of the usual monthly premiums for Nov,Dec,Jan,Feb,Mar. Assura have just charged me the usual monthly premium from April 1st.

Paying both policies is not an option - by the end of the year when I can can cancel the Sanitas leeches, they would have wrung over 2500 chf out of me. Although I contacted Assura after Sanitas, the policy starts on the same day. So looks like I will have to contact the ombudsman - thanks for the link.

I think that it is technically "impossible" to have 2 health insurance providers. Which ever health insurance provider was "2nd" to provide you with health insurance that contract is null and void (I believe). No idea about the best way of doing this except speaking to the companies involved.

It was the duty of the health insurance company to check that you weren't insured with another company before agreeing terms with you.

I guess then it would be a case of finding out who you were insured with first (I would expert it to be the first company, and also when I use my source of information as an example I believe Assura was at fault as well in this example).

My "Source":
When sorting out my own health insurance with a local Concordia lady who was very helpful she gave a specific example that would help to explain as she was a very chatty individual. This is where someone she helped to ensure with her company (Concordia tend to be a bit more expensive) wanted to cancel their contract because they were struggling to pay, they did actually stop paying their bills but as you can't go without health insurance in Switzerland (or it may have been that you can't change contracts without having existing bills with another provider) they were still covered by this existing contract and should be paying their bills!. The gentleman thinking (or hoping I guess) that they had cancelled their contract went on to get health insurance coverage with another company.

Effectively he was being charged for 2 policies like yourself (in trying to save money I know....!). What the Concordia representative said though was that the policy with the new company was not valid as they (Assura in this case) should have checked before agreeing the policy with the client that you did not already have an existing contract. As they did not do this they were at fault and the policy was cancelled, the person would not have to pay at all for the attempt at setting up the second policy as it was never a binding contract.

The long and the short of it, is that I would think that there is hope for you if it is a large sum of money over a number of months (obviously the example is not a true fit for your own but does have a likeness and could be a source of information). But I do agree with the others if it is on the smaller side, I would pay up and put it down to a learning experience, and take the lessons from it.

Disclaimer:
(1)I know you won't be believe but the example really wasn't me!
(2)I understand that when signing a contract you would really have to honor that, but I think also the health insurance provide also has legal obligations to abide by and I think one of the companies may not have followed them, which may be a get out clause this time for the OP!

Phewwww... long post, over and out!!!

I see in the time I wrote my "giant" post you have the same start dates for each policy!

Maybe my post won't be of so much help now.

Good luck though.

Hi a.j.b

Thank you for taking the time to reply with such a long post. You are right, its not an exact fit. But the information you supplied was very helpful.
I'm a newbie to this forum so not sure if there is a thank you button I can click on, but thanks anyway

derbyscot

No problem, your welcome, I like telling stories!

I think you have to post 10 posts to get that thank you button, but its just stats anyway so don't worry about it!.

Good luck in sorting it all out.

It sounds like the situation is sorting itself out but, just for info, you cannot - by law - be insured with 2 different health insurance companies for basic insurance. i.e. LAMal/KVG.

You can have supplementary insurance with as many companies as you like and if this is the case then you're likely to be paying twice for the same cover.

Whoever "wins" - Sanitas or Assura - will be owed the premiums but you will not have to pay both in any case.

Thank you. Its helpful to know where I stand legally. FYI, Assura have agreed to refund the premiums. Now I just have to get the money from them to pay Sanitas before Sanitas take me to court.

Are you 100% sure about this ?

I know it's illegal to claim from 2 insurance companies the cost of treatment but legaly speaking i am not so sure it is actualy against the law for 2 insurance premiuns, if you're stupid enough to do so without realising or finding out after a short period.

I am more than aware of that, lets see what she replies with.