BEFORE YOU SIGN WITH A CHEAP STUDENT INSURANCE COMPANY IN SWITZERLAND - VERIFY THAT YOU HAVE NO MEDICAL QUESTIONER OR NO MEDICAL DECLARATION.


Since lots of students (researchers, interns...) was faced to big problems with cheap insurance companies in Switzerland, verify double that these cheap insurance companies not request you to fill out a medical questioner or accept medical declaration.

Currently and verified recently (20.09.2010) only 2 companies not request medical questioner or medical declaration and who respect the KVG LAMAL benefits entierly :

• CSS Studentcare (Basic plan CHF 80 up to CHF 130.50 - go to an agency)
• Swisscare FSS plan (FSS plans CHF 72 up to CHF 86.50 - order on internet)

This is not legal or accepted as KVG - LAMAL benefits :

• Medical questioner
• Medical declaration
• General insurance sum limited (example 1.000.000)
• Franchise per case
• Pregnancy limitation
• Other limitation that are not in accordance with the KVG-LAMAL

Note, it is you own risk to choose a cheap insurance company but as foreign student (researcher, interns...), problems with health can be very expensive. Better you choose a safe company !

Also if you have enough money, here the list of the official state insurance companies on this two websites who compare premiums :

• www.comparis.ch
• www.bonus.ch

What does this mean?

I'm a Canadian studying in Zurich (visa type D), and am looking into TradiConsult, who offers SUPER-cheap insurance premiums for foreign students (starting at 72.- per month). However I did have to fill out a very short questionnaire to get a quote (along the lines of "do you currently have HIV," "Are you currently taking medication," etc).

Does this insurance not count legally as basic health insurance?
What kind of problems have students been having with cheap companies, and what does that have to do with a medical questionnaire?

Health insurance companies in Switzerland are not supposed to discriminate against anyone on the basis of pre-existing conditions etc. for basic insurance. The only exception is that women of child-bearing age pay slightly more (to cover the free care in pregnancy).

So you should not be asked to complete a medical questionnaire for basic health insurance, because (in a strange way) it is none of their business! Certainly when I set up my health insurance they didn't ask me any questions about my current health.

Complementary insurance is another matter...

I've julsiebear, I've sent you a PM with some useful information.

I would not take out Tradiconsult, apparently a bunch of cantons have blacklisted them as they allegedly don't follow the Swiss law as they should and take an age to pay up for claims.