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Switzerland
In Switzerland, compulsory health insurance covers the costs of medical treatment and
hospitalization of the insured. The Swiss healthcare system is a combination of public, subsidized
private and totally private healthcare providers, where the insured person has full freedom of
choice among the providers in his region. Insurance companies independently set their price
points for different age groups, but are forbidden from setting prices based on health risk. There
are no free state-provided health services, but private health insurance is compulsory for all
persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the
country.)
The whole healthcare system is geared toward the general goals of keeping the system
competitive across cantonal lines, promoting general public health and reducing costs while
encouraging individual responsibility. Health insurance covers the costs of medical treatment and
hospitalisation of the insured. However, the insured person pays part of the cost of treatment. This
is done (a) by means of an annual deductible (called the franchise), which ranges from CHF 300
(PPP-adjusted US$ 184) to a maximum of CHF 2,500 (PPP-adjusted $1,534) for an adult as
chosen by the insured person (premiums are adjusted accordingly) and (b) by a charge of 10% of
the costs over and above the excess up to a stop-loss amount of CHF 700 (PPP-adjusted $429).
The compulsory insurance can be supplemented by private "complementary" insurance
policies that allow for coverage of some of the treatment categories not covered by the basic
insurance or to improve the standard of room and service in case of hospitalisation. This can
include complementary medicine, routine dental treatments, half-private or private ward
hospitalisation, and others, which are not covered by the compulsory insurance.
As far as the compulsory health insurance is concerned, the insurance companies cannot
set any conditions relating to age, sex or state of health for coverage. Although the level of
premium can vary from one company to another, they must be identical within the same company
for all insured persons of the same age group and region, regardless of sex or state of health. This
does not apply to complementary insurance, where premiums are risk-based.