Is an ambulance covered?
Only half, and with a low ceiling. This is where the surprise bites hardest: one ambulance ride often bills more than basic insurance covers in an entire year.
The exact amounts
Basic insurance treats transport and rescue separately from other care: it pays only half, and within annual limits set by law.
- Ambulance transport: 50 per cent of costs, up to CHF 500 a year.
- Rescue, helicopter included: 50 per cent of costs, up to CHF 5,000 a year.
- Care received on site or in hospital: covered normally, with deductible and co-payment.
Why the bill comes as a shock
An ambulance transport in Switzerland commonly bills between CHF 900 and 2,000. At 50 per cent capped at CHF 500, more than half of it often stays with you.
A helicopter rescue in the mountains frequently exceeds CHF 5,000: the ceiling is reached in a single flight. And these ceilings are annual — a second transport in the same year opens nothing further.
What actually covers this risk
Outpatient supplementary cover generally picks up the balance, often with no ceiling or a far higher one. It is one of the few items where inexpensive supplementary cover is justified by simple arithmetic rather than comfort.
In the mountains, rescue memberships — Rega’s or the Alpine Club’s — cover the same risk for a few dozen francs a year. They do not replace insurance, but for anyone who hikes or skis often, the ratio of cost to risk avoided is hard to beat.
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