My question is whether I will be covered for accident insurance while on maternity leave.

My situation: after my job contract ends I will be on maternity leave for 14 weeks. I was told by my job HR that my accident insurance will continue for 30 days more after my contract ends. Then what? Will I be covered for accident insurance while I receive maternity allowance from AHV?
After my maternity leave ends I will be registered with RAV and will be getting unemployment benefits. I know for sure that I will be covered for accident insurance through RAV.

Basically, will I be insured for accidents through AHV or I need to get an accident insurance myself for these 10 weeks in between job and RAV?

Thanks

You'll be covered during your maternity leave and the 30 days after this ends (if this is when your contract ends, too).

When I was unemployed (3 years ago - ish), I took out accident insurance with my health insurance assuming that I would no longer be covered, or at least until I got another job.

I happened to mention it to my RAV chap and he did the whole over dramatic gesticulation and said "didn't you know that you will be covered as long as you are collecting unemployment benefit?"

As it happens, I should have been listening more closely at the obligatory RAV awareness day, rather than staring out of the window, willing the time to pass by.

In the end, I was just about to start another job so didn't bother cancelling my accident insurance in favour of the one you get through RAV and now I'm under the accident umbrella of my employer.

So the short answer is you should be covered but double check with the RAV people that it's still the case.

When you are getting paid by the RAV, they are like your employers. So yes, they take out accident insurance for you with SUVA.

Nothing to worry about

Cheers,
K

I don't think the OP is actually worried about the RAV part as she knows she's covered for that. It's the few weeks between when her work contract finishes and the RAV cover starts that she's worried about.

I can't help at all but I'm sure somebody who knows will be along soon to help you. I would think that maternity leave would be the same as being employed and therefore covered but I'm only guessing.

Edit: just read that the employer's cover ends after 30 days so I think you will need to get cover via you health insurance for the missing 10 weeks. Not sure how easy it is to t cover for just 10 weeks though.

The op can take out insurance with SUVA for 25 chf a month, for upto 6 months. The RAV have the form.

It's also possible to get the old work insurance for 6 months rather than 30 days. The advantage over health insurance is salary is also insured.

What I'm wondering is who is going to pay for your maternity leave if your contract ends before the end of it?! RAV?

AHV will pay for my maternity leave as I qualify: I will have been insured with them for 9 months before birth and worked for at least 5 months during pregnancy. In fact, my first week of maternity leave my employer will pay me and then get the money from AHV, afterwards, AHV will pay me directly.

Exactly! I am not worried about RAV as I know they'll cover my accident insurance. I am worried about 10 weeks in between. Of course I can ask my healthcare provider to get accident insurance for 10 weeks or get it from SUVA like someone suggested earlier or extend the accident insurance from my former employer for up to 6 months. But if I am already covered by AHV why to pay twice. I guess I will end up asking AHV themselves.

Dear Fatmanfilms, could you please explain in more detail what do you mean by "salary is also insured"? I just checked my termination letter and it says that I can 1) extend my non-occupational accident insurance (UVG-Deckung) for up to 180 days; and 2) join policyholders collective for income insurance in the case of illness (Krankentaggeldversicherung).
So it looks like "insuring salary" is separate from having an accident insurance. Perhaps, it's just my case.

Insurance legally mandated for employees covers medical bills for accidents without excess & also loss of pay if you can't work. Thats why it's very expensive 2.00+% of salary.
If you insure with your health insurance, it's medical cover only. subject to an excess, which costs 12 chf a month.

Your talking about loss of earnings due to being ill, thats totally different as its NOT an accident.

Thanks a lot, fatmanfilms, for the explanation! The world of insurances is so complicated! I'll ask my HR how much their accident insurance costs.

Not sure if you are still needing this info... But, your employer cannot legally end your contract before the end of your maternity leave. So therefore, you are insured still through your employer. If your contract was terminated before then, you wouldn't be eligible for the AHV benefit.

You're right that the employer can't unilaterally terminate her contract while the OP is on maternity leave.

However, if it was a fixed term contract that simply ran out then - or if the OP herself ended it, rather than the employer - then the scenario she describes is quite possible.

Exactly.

Actually that's exactly my situation as well

Thanks. As it was suggested below my contract was indeed fixed-term, so my employer didn't break the law. Now I am on maternity benefits from AHV. I was told by our HR that AHV doesn't cover accident insurance (I haven't asked AHV myself so I had to trust the HR) so I paid for 2 months extension for the accident cover from my former employer (they cover 1 month after the contract ends anyways). Afterwards I am hoping to be with RAV who for sure provides accident cover.

Yes, this is exactly the info I got as well.