Everything you need to know about a hospital stay in Switzerland

As a patient in Switzerland, you have, amongst other things:

• Right to information: Right to comprehensible information (explanation) about the diagnosis, treatment, risks, costs and alternatives.
• Right to informed consent: In principle, medical interventions should only be carried out with your consent.
• Right to access files: You can view your medical records and request copies of your reports and invoices. Our tip: Keep all receipts, invoices and documents relating to your medical treatments in a safe place. They could be helpful if the insurance company has queries or needs to check something.
• Free choice of doctor with your insurance: If you have semi-private or private hospital insurance in particular, you often have more freedom of choice.

Ask if you do not understand something. You can take time to make decisions – except in acute emergencies.

• Your medical history is subject to medical confidentiality.
• Data will only be passed on to third parties, e.g. to other doctors treating you or Sympany for billing purposes, with your consent.
• Hospitals must comply with the legal requirements relating to data protection (patient records, electronic files, etc.).

If you are not happy with your treatment or care, you should do something about it during your stay:

• Talk to the treatment team or ward manager first.
• Use the hospital’s patient advice service or ombudsman service (if available)
• Some cantons have independent advice centres for patients.

Sympany will send you a questionnaire after your hospital stay. We would like to know whether you actually received all the benefits from your supplementary hospital insurance. Your feedback will help us to:

• Ensure that you are happy
• Check the hospital bill
• Not pay for any additional benefits from supplementary insurance that have not been provided

Planning for your discharge should begin during your hospital stay. Clarify the details of:

• Home medication plan
• Required aids
• Wound checks and follow-up examinations
• Duration of sick leave and ability to work
• Physiotherapy, occupational therapy or other outpatient therapies
• Home help

Ask for a written discharge report and a clear plan for the next steps.

After a procedure, you are not always able to fully cope with everyday life immediately. Possible options:

• Rehabilitation clinics: inpatient rehabilitation in a specialist clinic
• Spitex home care: outpatient care and help at home
• Nursing homes: if you are temporarily or permanently unable to return home

Whether costs will be covered by basic and supplementary insurance depends on:

• Medical need
• Tariff contracts
• The selected service provider

In the case of inpatient rehabilitation, you can choose facilities that are on your canton's hospital list. Would you like to go to a semi-private or private ward? Then check whether your chosen clinic has concluded a tariff contract with Sympany. You can find clinics without a contract on the Sympany hospital list. 

After being in hospital, staying at a health resort may help you to regain your strength. In Switzerland, a distinction is made between:

Convalescence spa treatments after a hospital stay

• Sympany’s supplementary hospital insurance contributes to the costs, depending on the product and scope of benefits. Benefits under hospita supplementary hospital insurance ›
• The prerequisite is usually that the health resort stay is prescribed by a doctor and is at a recognised health spa.
• The amount and duration of the cost contribution are governed by the conditions of insurance.

Health spa treatments

• Under certain conditions, compulsory basic insurance may pay a legally stipulated contribution (flat-rate amount per day for a limited number of days, based on a doctor's prescription and approval of coverage). Basic insurance benefits ›
• Sympany’s supplementary hospital insurance also contributes towards health spa treatments at recognised spas – depending on the supplementary insurance chosen and the contractual benefits. Benefits under hospita supplementary hospital insurance ›

Recommendation: Before going to a health resort, check which benefits are covered by basic and supplementary hospital insurance. Sympany would be happy to help you with this. As with a hospital stay, you should get approval of coverage in advance.

hospita: Recognised convalescence spas and health spas ›

Sympany will be here for you even after you have been discharged from hospital:

• Resolving queries about invoices and approval of coverage
• Providing information on rehabilitation, Spitex home care or care services
• Checking whether your current insurance situation still meets your needs

Talk to your doctor about your medical requirements. Check the cantonal hospital lists and note whether the hospital is in the canton where you live or in another canton. It is also important to know which ward (general, semi-private, private) your insurance covers. Sympany will help you clarify what costs are covered.

Basic insurance covers medically necessary treatments in listed hospitals subject to the conditions stipulated by law. The deductible, retention fee and hospital cost contribution apply. Cantonal regulations must also be observed.

It’s worth taking out supplementary hospital insurance if you

• want to be more comfortable (single or twin room)
• would like greater freedom of choice in relation to hospitals and doctors
• want to protect yourself against additional costs of treatment outside your canton

In the general ward, the choice is restricted. With semi-private or private supplementary hospital insurance, you often have greater freedom of choice, including treatment by a chief physician – depending on the hospital and policy.

Special provisions apply in the event of emergencies abroad. Hospital costs are covered differently depending on the country you are visiting and your insurance (e.g. travel insurance, supplementary insurance). Details can be found under Information on stays abroad ›

The length of stay depends on your medical need. Hospital doctors will work with you and, if necessary, the rehabilitation clinic or Spitex care service to decide about your discharge. Sympany will check the approval of coverage based on the medical reports.

Yes, but you will have to cover the costs of a room in the higher-level hospital ward and the free choice of doctor yourself. It is best to get a cost estimate from the hospital in advance and also take into account the deductible, retention fee and hospital contribution.

If you only want more privacy for certain medical problems, the following supplementary insurance policies may be useful:

• hospita flex: You choose the ward each time you are admitted to hospital and pay a limited co-payment for the higher-level hospital ward. 
• hospita private accident: After an accident, you can be treated in a private ward – even on a small budget. 

• Co-payment: Deductible, retention fee and hospital contribution always at your expense
• Optional services and comfort: Basic insurance only covers compulsory benefits and a general ward. Additional services (e.g. more comfort, free choice of doctor) are only covered by supplementary hospital insurance.
• Procedures that are not medically necessary: Not covered by basic or supplementary insurance
• Non-recognised methods: In particular new treatment methods that are not listed in the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) or Health Insurance Benefits Ordinance (KLV).
• Non-recognised hospitals: Basic insurance only pays for hospitals with a cantonal service mandate (listed hospital). Supplementary hospital insurance offers you a free choice of hospital anywhere in Switzerland. Exceptions: Hospitals without a tariff contract, see list of hospitals ›
• Personal expenses: Costs for TV, Wi-Fi, telephone or hairdresser
• Visitor expenses: Accommodation and meals for relatives are not insured. Exception: Rooming-in.

Good to know: If Sympany has given you an approval of coverage, the costs listed in the approval will always be covered. Hospitals issue separate invoices for compulsory and non-compulsory services.