The Swiss and U.S. healthcare systems have one thing in common: they are among the most expensive systems in the world. Otherwise, they are worlds apart. In the USA, citizens can choose whether to take out state or private insurance. However, the costs are so high that many people don’t have any health insurance. In contrast, everyone in Switzerland has to take out basic insurance by law. In the USA there are several public health insurance schemes, including Medicare for senior citizens over 65 and people with disabilities, Medicaid for people with low incomes, and Tricare for military personnel and veterans.Although there are around 60 different health insurers in Switzerland, they all offer the same benefits under basic insurance. In addition, all health insurers in Switzerland are legally obliged to admit all applicants to basic insurance, thus ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality medical care.

In Switzerland, every resident is obliged to take out basic insurance. There are around 60 private health insurance companies to choose from, and applicants are free to choose who they take out insurance with. Health insurers are legally obliged to admit all applicants to basic insurance, regardless of their state of health. Anyone who wants to ensure extra benefits can do so by taking out supplementary insurance cover. In this case, however, insurers can choose whether to accept an application or reject it on the basis of existing illnesses. Another big difference: In Germany, dental treatment is covered by both private and statutory health insurance. In Switzerland, patients have to pay dental bills themselves, unless they have the appropriate supplementary insurance plan.

At a glance: Switzerland vs Germany:

In contrast to Switzerland, the French healthcare system is primarily  financed by salary contributions and taxes. Here, health insurance is financed by premiums that are calculated independently of income. In Switzerland, insureds can choose between different care models for basic health insurance – free choice of doctors, telemedicine consultation, etc. In France, the family doctor is the first point of contact in all cases. While there are no semiprivate hospital rooms in France, supplementary insurance policies can be taken out in Switzerland to make the stay in hospital more pleasant – for example, in a two-bed room instead of a multi-bed room.

Similar to France and England, the Italian healthcare system (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) is financed by taxes. In Switzerland, premiums that every insured person pays finance the health insurance companies. In Switzerland, unlike in Italy, you can choose which doctor to go to, provided that you’ve taken out the appropriate basic insurance model.

Unlike in Spain, patients in Switzerland are charged for medical services – regardless of whether the hospital or doctor is public or private. Dental treatment is not covered in either Spain or Switzerland, but in Switzerland it is possible to get around this by taking out supplementary insurance.

Anyone living in Switzerland is obliged to take out basic insurance. The situation is different in Portugal: Anyone who works there automatically has health insurance. Unlike in Portugal, in Switzerland you can choose your family doctor. As you are responsible for finding a family doctor, we recommend that you find out about possible family doctors early on and register with them. This way you are protected in case of emergency. The costs of the treatment – minus the deductible und copayment – are covered by health insurance.