Swiss health insurance coverage for sickness outside of Switzerland

Does standard Swiss health insurance also pay the costs of getting treated for sickness outside of Switzerland? Do I need some kind of extra travel insurance to cover the hospital bills if I get sick while in another country?

Greetings,

Swiss compulsory health insurance covers the costs of emergency medical treatment outside of Switzerland - up to a limit of double the cost of equivalent treatment in your canton of residence.

Some Swiss supplementary health insurance policies and travel insurance policies extend that coverage to cover much larger amounts. You can get more information in our guide to health insurance coverage for medical emergencies while traveling.

However, both compulsory and supplementary policies do not generally cover medical tourism - or going abroad specifically for the purpose of receiving medical care. You can learn more about this in our guide to Swiss health insurance coverage for treatment abroad.

Best regards from Moneyguru

More on this topic:
Swiss compulsory health insurance comparison
Swiss optional health insurance comparison
Swiss International Health Insurance: How to Get Insured No Matter Where You Live