Semi-Private Hospital Insurance Compared

Unlike public hospital insurance (general ward), semi-private supplemental hospital insurance gives you free reign to choose the doctor and the hospital you want to use. In contrast to private ward, semi-private ward will not guarantee a private hospital room. However, It will cover a 2-bed, shared room.

While semi-private hospital insurance is cheaper than fully private insurance, it’s a fair bit more expensive than insurance that only covers public wards. Make sure to compare premiums and benefits before you settle on a health insurance policy. Read on to learn more about semi-private ward.

Tip 1: Choice of hospital. Being able to receive treatment at the hospital of your choice is a deciding factor when choosing health insurance. Some insurers, including Helsana and Sanitas, offer free choice of partner hospitals not only on private hospital insurance policies, but also to semi-private hospital insurance policy holders.

Note that as a rule, health insurance providers do not have partnerships with all Swiss hospitals, so even semi-private hospital coverage will not get you into every healthcare center. This is especially true with regards to the most famous and the most expensive clinics.

Make sure to check if the hospitals you are interested in using are covered by your health insurer. If you aren’t completely sure, don’t be afraid to ask them straight out.

Tip 2: Choice of doctor. As with private insurance coverage, semi-private insurance lets you choose your doctor. In public hospitals, you can count on being treated by an experienced doctor. If you have private insurance, you will often be treated by the head physician.

Tip 3. Coverage outside of Switzerland. If you want to receive surgery abroad or get medical help in the case of an accident while traveling, make sure that your health insurance covers medical care abroad. Some insurers like Sanitas give private and semi-private policy holders the same free choice of hospitals outside of Switzerland that they receive when at home. Other insurers like Helsana require you to add international coverage as an optional rider on your health insurance policy.

Tip 4: Additional benefits. As well as covering the cost of hospital-based care, hospital insurance generally also covers other services, which may include home-based care, rooming-in, reconstructive therapy, spa treatments or even repatriation. Semi-private hospital insurance typically offers less comprehensive coverage than private hospital insurance. In the moneyland.ch hospital comparison you can filter and sort semi-private insurance offers based on the benefits they give you.

Tip 5: Premiums. Semi-private hospital insurance policies may be cheaper than fully private insurance, but they still cost a pretty penny. Although policies are generally expensive, the price differences between policies are notable, so comparing offers is a good idea.

Depending on health insurance premiums, a 30-year-old can expect to pay anywhere between 35 and 130 francs per month (more in some cases) for semi-private hospital insurance. A 55-year-old will pay premiums of around 100 to 350 francs per month.

Notice the difference in premiums that accompanies differences in age brackets. In fact, the age-based increases imposed by some insurers are fully disproportionate. There is also no way to calculate future changes to premiums, even taking inflation into account.

Tip 6: Deductible. Semi-private hospital insurance policies are often available in several different deductible models. The rule of thumb here is: The higher the deductible, the lower the premiums. Basic premiums for policies with a very high deductible (in the thousands of francs) may be 30-40 percent cheaper than low-deductible premiums on the same policy. Note: Once you settle on a deductible, there is no guarantee that you will be able to switch to a lower deductible (or a 0 franc deductible) in the future.

Tip 7: Accident coverage. Would you prefer to be treated in a semi-private hospital ward in the case of an accident? If so, it is recommendable to take out additional accident coverage. If your employer already provides you with semi-private insurance coverage, you might need to extend this insurance with supplementary coverage for accidents.

Tip 8: Policy term. You can usually get discounts when you opt for long-term insurance policies. However, insurance policies with a 1-year term are less binding, which gives you greater flexibility.

Tip 9: Caps. Never sign an insurance policy that has a cap on benefits, meaning it only pays out benefits up to a maximum amount. Depending on the health issues involved and the length of your stay, hospital bills can easily run high enough to ruin you financially.

Tip 10: Changing insurers. If you plan to cancel a semi-private insurance policy, make sure you note that other health insurers are under no obligation to grant you semi-private hospital coverage. Make sure you get a guarantee of acceptance from your new insurer before giving up your current coverage.

Tip 11: Flex insurance. If getting semi-private hospital insurance is not an affordable option for you, then consider checking into what’s known as "flex insurance". These policies generally come with relatively high out-of-pocket costs. In exchange for paying a higher share of hospital charges should disaster strike, you get much lower premiums.

Tip 12: Payback option. Some health insurance companies pay out a benefit when you choose to get treatment in a standard ward rather than a semi-private ward, when a hospital offers both. The benefit can amount to roughly 100 to 150 francs per day for the length of your hospital stay. Opting for a payback is a financial option worth considering, even in the case of a minor operation.

More information:
Hospital insurance in Switzerland: comparison tool
Supplemental health insurance in Switzerland
Basic health insurance comparison tool