Regardless of whether you just need a pill for a headache or if you have a prescription for a drug from the doctor, It’s important to know which medicines are covered by health insurance. Find out how much Sanitas pays towards the costs of medicines here.
There’s a simple rule: health insurance covers only medicines prescribed by a doctor. But that’s not the only requirement. Which medicines/drugs and how much of the costs are covered is largely regulated by law. The regulatory requirements leave little room for manoeuvre.
The Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act (HIA) specifies which medicines have to be covered by health insurers. Basic insurance covers the costs of medicines that are:
Supplementary insurance plans cover higher amounts and costs for additional medicines. The Sanitas plans cover the following costs for medicines/drugs:
Once the patent protection for a drug has expired, it may be copied. Generic products contain the same active ingredients in the same dosage as the original drug and are – in almost all cases – interchangeable. However, they cost less because the development costs are lower.
If you opt for a generic product, you usually pay a
10% copayment for original drugs:
20% copayment for generics:
You can use the generic drug finder to find out whether a generic is available for your original drug. The applicable copayment is also shown in the hit list.