I'd suspect the former. It wouldn't be the first time someone has been charged because the bill sender didn't know the rules.

Correct.

The service providers submit the invoice, specifying the ZSR number/GLN number, to the insurer responsible (health insurer, Military Insurance), or to the Common Institution.

From here.

Found this aswell (available in english)

https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home...ov/testen.html

This is at least abusive and needs to be stopped immediately, the tone of the email clearly tries to intimidate you as threatens additional costs if you talk back.

I wouldn't bother dealing with them or the health insurance, the latter may not care because the BAG will shoulder the cost, so they may see it as not their problem. Instead I'd inform the supervising body. For the Permanence Oerlikon that's the Gesundheitsamt Zürich, I'd use the Covid Hotline (phone 0800 33 66 55) to get info on how to proceed, certainly English will be fine. Otherwise inform the BAG directly.

Make sure you have valid reason for the test to be paid by the BAG. If you're lacking another recognised reason you can always claim to have had contact with an infected person.

That's the easiest part - OP was told to get a test by contact tracing.

This is very typical of the Permanence business-strategy. I’ll leave it at that. I’m glad you are holding them accountable.

Yes this. Be sure to add you refuse any costs charged for answering your email unless they are prepared for these costs to go 2 ways. That sentence irked me more than the rest as exchanging emails with clients is just part of doing business!

I realised that upon rereading OP's posts, but I had already posted, and it may not apply to someone else in a similar situation. So I left it there.

Hi,

My partner and I had infections with flu-like symptoms, last month, and following the recommendation from the BAG's website, went together to get a Covid-19 test at our Hausarzt (following an appointment, first visit there, we recently moved area in Canton Zurich), which fortunately was negative for Covid.

We've just received several bills (50CHF each for various Pauscahle-related to taking the test), and another (96.60CHF for "Notfall-Inkonvenienzpauschale" "Konsultation" "Kleine Untersuchung") and various things.

The charges are not massive, and I have a lot of sympathy with medical professionals who have been exposing themselves to a lot of risk in the past year.

Nevertheless, I was under the impression the Swiss government was covering the costs for Covid-19 people who met various criteria (which we clearly met).

Does anyone know if this is in ordnung? Is it because we went to our Hausarzt rather than a screening center?

I found this website about costs online, but I'm still confused.

The parts related to the test should be free, but parts related to a separate consultation not.

Why is it marked as an emergency - was it out of hours or did you ask for an emergency appointment?

Here's a very recent thread about the same question.
https://www.englishforum.ch/family-m...ct-traced.html

Thanks. We just rang them Friday morning describing the situation, and asked for a test. They offered us an appointment Friday afternoon.

I've also found this document from the Swiss government that states:

Thanks for the responses, a lot of useful info there. After talking to the BAG I replied using the official Permanence email again that I did not agree to any charges to query the bill and that the BAG said all costs were covered. I didn't get any response.

I think this might be it, the only cause for doubt is the rechnung doesn't mention a PCR test, only the 'holding the door open first 5 minutes, use of chair first 5 minutes' padding I see a lot. I contacted Assura, still waiting to hear back, 6 days they said. Also the filthy covid-ridden friend who exposed me went to the same place for his post-quarantine test and didn't get sent a bill which might indicate it's provider specific.

I find this rampant padding of Drs bills here very wearing, I wonder how many years per year they charge. Next time I'm tempted to time the appt and close with 'right that's 5 minutes, I don't want to see a bill for half an hour'

I've had the emergency appointment padding added, I called them up and said I didn't ask for an emergency appointment not did I need one and they sent an updated marginally less padded bill.

I think that’s your answer. You are insured with assura and doctors don’t send bills directly to them, they send them to the patient and the patient has to get reimbursed by the insurer.
Assura will then have to get reimbursed by the BAG assuming that the practice have used the correct billing codes.

From the aforementioned thread, but the emergency fee probably is not deductible-free. Ask for it to be removed from the invoice.


I go to an 'emergency walk-in centre' - medix toujours - and often get hit with a "hausartzliche leistungen' surcharge. Well, this is Switzerland!



Tests from June 25th will be taken over by the federal government without deducting any deductible or self-pay. The reimbursement is made by the health insurance, which then bills the federal government for the costs. The invoices for coronavirus tests will be sent directly to your health insurance company. If you should still receive an invoice, the procedure for the reimbursement remains the same: You send the entire invoice to the health insurance company, which then takes care of the reimbursement. The costs for the test are only covered if the symptoms are recognized and if the test is carried out by a doctor / hospital recognized under the KVG or a test center provided by the canton. Recognized symptoms: muscle pain, fever, sensation of fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, sudden loss of the sense of smell or taste, cough (dry, irritating cough). Less common: conjunctivitis, headache, runny nose, indigestion.

Or:

https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home...ov/testen.html

That's not the case for my girlfriend. She has insurance with Assura. Went to her Hausarzt two months ago for Covid test as she experienced suspected symptoms after coming back from Rome. The nurse didn't request her insurance details as the nurse said it will be covered by the BAG. Test came out negative. No cost has incurred to her.

Update to this, Assura got back to me today, they had already received invoices for the test, for CHF106 and CHF50, so this CHF132 bill direct from Permanence Oerlikon continues to be a mystery, that would make the total charge for a Covid test CHF288 which is ridiculous. I need to press for an answer from Permance Oerlikon that the bill is cancelled. Not sure what is best if they insist it is payable.

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

For the record:

1. I asked for the "emergency fee" to be removed, successfully.
   (A doctor was meant to contact me to explain, but the doctor never did, so the administrator removed it without providing any justification).
2. I claimed the 50CHF bill from my health insurer, and it was transferred to my account, irrespective of the deductible (the franchise).

I have booked one today. CityLab Stadelhofen. I think it will cost me around CHF 133.5/- as per Synlab website.