If you want to take out supplementary insurance, the health insurance company may ask you questions about your state of health. These are known as the health questions. You are obliged to answer these questions truthfully (find out more under Disclosure obligation).
If you apply for supplementary insurance, the health insurer asks about your state of health. These health questions relate to illnesses and treatments you have had in the last five years. These questions for supplementary insurance have to be answered truthfully.
Why do I have to answer health questions?
All insurance companies want to know what risk they are taking on when they accept an insurance application: Has the applicant listed many, few or no health problems when answering the health questions? Health insurers use the information provided to decide whether and under what conditions to accept the insurance application.
Are there questions to answer for basic insurance?
No, in accordance with the Health Insurance Act (KVG/HIA) health insurers have to admit every customer to basic insurance without reservation.
Which health questions do I have to answer?
The health questions relate to illnesses and treatments you have had in the last five years. You have to answer all the questions. Health insurers are allowed to decide which health questions they ask.
What do I need to bear in mind when answering the health questions?
You have to answer the health questions truthfully. Health insurers have the right to exclude benefits from the insurance cover on the basis of existing illnesses or consequences of accidents. This is known as a restriction. They may even reject an insurance application outright. This way, insurance companies reduce the risk of having to bear high costs at a later date that would burden the pool of policyholders.
What happens if I forget something when answering the questions?
Health insurers have the right to apply restrictions retroactively or cancel the contract if it is discovered that someone provided untrue or incomplete information when filling out the insurance application.
Basic insurance
Basic insurance and mandatory basic health insurance are two terms for the same thing. They describe the legal scope of health insurance that every person resident in Switzerland has to take out. Find out more under Mandatory basic health insurance.