Rescue and transport costs

What are rescue and transport costs?

Rescue and transport costs arise when you are taken to treatment by ambulance, rescue helicopter or another means of transport, or are rescued from an emergency. Basic health insurance distinguishes between two cases, which are covered differently.

Transport: Patient transport takes you to a doctor, a hospital or another service provider when your state of health does not allow you to travel by train, bus, taxi or car. Examples are a transfer from one hospital to another or taking a bedridden person to treatment.

Rescue: A rescue gets you out of an acute emergency, for example after a cardiac arrest in the street, a fall while hiking or an avalanche accident. This includes call-outs by the ambulance service and air rescue.

In both cases, basic health insurance only pays a contribution, not the full costs. You bear the rest yourself unless another insurance steps in. After an accident, the accident insurer under the Accident Insurance Act (UVG) is often responsible, and it pays more generously. Many supplementary insurance policies cover the gap in full or in part.

Trips that you could also make by public transport or in your own car do not count as medical transport within the meaning of basic health insurance, even if being accompanied would be more comfortable. For such trips, there are services such as the Red Cross driving service.

How it works

For transport, basic health insurance covers 50 % of the costs, up to CHF 500 per calendar year. The transport must be medically necessary, take you to an authorised service provider suitable for the treatment, and your condition must not allow any other means of transport. The means of transport must meet the medical requirements.

For rescues in Switzerland, basic health insurance also covers 50 % of the costs, but no more than CHF 5,000 per calendar year.

Transport and rescue companies only bill basic health insurance if they are authorised by the canton, have a contract with the health insurers and meet the quality requirements.

The deductible and retention fee are applied to the health insurer’s contribution. So if you have not yet used up your deductible, you first pay the health insurer’s contribution yourself.

After an accident, the following applies: if you are insured under the UVG, the accident insurer pays the necessary travel, transport and rescue costs, without the limits of basic health insurance. Non-work-related accidents are insured under the UVG if you work at least 8 hours a week for the same employer.

Legal basis

Art. 25 para. 2 let. g of the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) lists the contribution towards medically necessary transport costs and towards rescue costs among the benefits of basic health insurance. The details are in the Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV): Art. 26 KLV governs the contribution towards transport (50 %, up to CHF 500 per calendar year, only if the person’s condition does not allow any other means of transport), Art. 27 KLV the contribution towards rescues in Switzerland (50 %, up to CHF 5,000 per calendar year).

The authorisation of transport and rescue companies is governed by Art. 56 of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV). For accidents insured under the UVG, Art. 13 UVG applies: the necessary travel, transport and rescue costs are paid. If you receive supplementary benefits, the canton reimburses the documented costs of transport to the nearest place of treatment (Art. 14 para. 1 let. e ELG), within the framework of the cantonal rules.

Example: ambulance and mountain rescue in the same year

Nina, 38, has a deductible of CHF 2,500 and is not insured under the UVG because she is self-employed. Her accident cover is provided by basic health insurance. The invoice amounts are assumed values; the contributions follow from Art. 26 and 27 KLV.

What this means for you

1. Know the gap in cover. Basic health insurance only pays part. Check whether your supplementary insurance covers transport and rescue, and up to what limit. The comparison of supplementary insurance shows the benefits.
2. Check your accident cover. If you work at least 8 hours a week for the same employer, the UVG insurer pays for accidents. You can then suspend the accident cover in basic health insurance; more on this under Exclude accident cover.
3. Protect yourself when travelling abroad. Basic health insurance does not pay for rescues abroad. Check your cover abroad before you travel.
4. Submit the invoice. Submit the invoice from the transport or rescue service to your health insurer, even if it is below your deductible.
5. Call anyway in an emergency. Cost must not play any role in an emergency. In a medical emergency, call the ambulance emergency number.

You can find out which health insurer offers which supplementary products in the overview of health insurers. You compare basic health insurance premiums in the premium calculator.

Common mistakes

• Believing the ambulance is free. Basic health insurance pays no more than CHF 500 per year towards transport, and the deductible and retention fee are applied to that.
• Confusing rescue and transport. The higher limit of CHF 5,000 applies to rescues, but only in Switzerland.
• Billing an accident to the wrong insurer. After an accident, inform your employer or the accident insurer first, not just your health insurer.
• Travelling without cover. Without supplementary or travel insurance, a rescue abroad can be charged entirely to you.

We explain how we calculate examples under How we calculate.