Does health insurance pay for complementary medicine?

What basic health insurance pays

Complementary medicine is the umbrella term for healing methods that complement conventional medicine. For your health insurer, however, what counts is not the method alone but who uses it. Basic health insurance pays for five methods, and only if you are treated by a physician with a specialist title and recognised additional training. This is governed by Art. 4b of the Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV).

Method	SIWF certificate programme the physician needs	KLV
Acupuncture	Acupuncture – Chinese pharmacotherapy – TCM (ASA)	Art. 4b let. a
Anthroposophic medicine	anthroposophically extended medicine (VAOAS)	Art. 4b let. b
TCM pharmacotherapy	Acupuncture – Chinese pharmacotherapy – TCM (ASA)	Art. 4b let. c
Classical homeopathy	Homeopathy (SVHA)	Art. 4b let. d
Phytotherapy	Phytotherapy (SMGP)	Art. 4b let. e

The SIWF is the Swiss Institute for Postgraduate and Continuing Medical Education. According to the FOPH, these services are treated in the same way as other medical services: the insurer generally reimburses them as long as there is no special rule in Annex 1 KLV. Like all compulsory benefits, they must be effective, appropriate and cost-effective (Art. 32 para. 1 KVG). For complementary medicine disciplines, Art. 35a KVV sets out the criteria: a tradition of use and research, scientific evidence and medical experience, as well as specific further training.

You pay the deductible and the 10 % retention fee for this as for any doctor’s bill, as an adult at most CHF 700 retention fee per year (Art. 64 para. 2 KVG, Art. 103 KVV).

How the five methods came about

The FOPH summarises the history as follows: in 1999, the Confederation provisionally included five complementary medicine disciplines in basic health insurance; in 2005, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) ended the obligation to pay after an evaluation. On 17.05.2009, the people and the cantons adopted Art. 118a of the Federal Constitution with 67 % in favour: the Confederation and the cantons, within their powers, ensure that complementary medicine is taken into account. From 2012, today’s five methods were again provisional compulsory benefits, and from 2017 permanent ones.

As of 25.09.2026: in April 2026, the FDHA decided not to carry out a new evaluation of homeopathy and to keep homeopathy practised by physicians in the benefits catalogue. The FOPH puts the costs of complementary medicine practised by physicians at around CHF 18 million per year, around 0.04 % of the costs of basic health insurance in 2024.

What supplementary insurance pays

According to the FOPH, everything offered by non-medical therapists belongs in supplementary insurance. This includes, for example, osteopathy, shiatsu, kinesiology and naturopathy, but also acupuncture or homeopathy without a medical degree. Such services are usually part of supplementary outpatient insurance or a separate product for complementary medicine. It is a private-law contract under the Insurance Contract Act (ICA), and the law does not prescribe any minimum scope. In its general terms and conditions, the insurer specifies:

• which methods it recognises; the lists differ between insurers,
• what share it pays, for example a percentage or an amount per session,
• how high the limit per calendar year is,
• what recognition the therapist needs; many insurers require registration with ASCA or EMR for the method used.

Two legal limits apply to everyone: supplementary insurance may not cover the deductible and retention fee of basic health insurance (Art. 64 para. 8 KVG). And the insurer does not have to accept you; it asks health questions (Art. 4 ICA) and can exclude existing complaints. We are building a benefits comparison of supplementary products under Supplementary insurance. Your insurer’s general terms and conditions and information are always decisive.

Conditions

• Physician with a certificate of competence: for basic health insurance, the physician must have a specialist title and the certificate programme for the respective method. A GP with a homeopathy certificate may bill for homeopathy, but not for acupuncture if she lacks the ASA certificate.
• No prescription needed: the physician treats you herself and bills via the outpatient medical tariff. In the GP, HMO or telemedicine model, the agreed first point of contact still applies; if you do not observe it, the insurer may reduce benefits according to the model conditions. Details under Rules of the cost-saving models.
• Deductible and retention fee: complementary medicine practised by physicians counts towards the deductible and retention fee like any other doctor’s bill. Children have no standard deductible and pay at most CHF 350 retention fee per year (Art. 103 KVV).
• Recognised therapist: for supplementary insurance, the therapist usually has to be recognised for the method. Which registers apply and what “recognised” means exactly is explained in Therapists recognised by health insurers.
• Take it out in good time: because the insurer asks health questions, supplementary insurance that you only take out when you already have complaints often does not cover precisely those complaints. What applies in the application is explained under Health questions in the application.

Sample calculation

Example with fictitious people, assumed prices and a contract example. Mara is 52 and has chosen a CHF 500 deductible. She has had no other medical costs so far this year. She is treated four times by a physician with a phytotherapy certificate of competence, assumed CHF 600 in total. She also sees an osteopath five times, assumed CHF 650 in total. According to the contract example, her supplementary insurance pays 80 % up to CHF 2,000 per year and recognises the osteopath. The deductible and retention fee are the statutory values from Art. 64 KVG and Art. 103 KVV.

The calculation shows: supplementary insurance for complementary medicine mainly pays off if you regularly use non-medical therapies. Compare the annual premium of the supplementary insurance with the expected reimbursements. You compare basic health insurance premiums in the premium calculator, and the right deductible in the deductible calculator.

How to proceed

1. Clarify who is treating you: a physician with a certificate of competence for the method, or a therapist without a medical degree?
2. Ask the physician: have her confirm that she holds the certificate of competence for exactly this method.
3. Ask the therapist: have her show you with which register she is recognised for which method, and ask your insurer whether it accepts this recognition.
4. Read the general terms and conditions: check the percentage, amount per session and annual limit of your supplementary insurance.
5. Submit invoices correctly: medical invoices to basic health insurance, even below the deductible; therapist invoices to supplementary insurance.

Common mistakes

• Believing that basic health insurance does not pay for alternative medicine. Five methods practised by physicians are compulsory benefits.
• Confusing the method with the practitioner. Basic health insurance pays for the same homeopathy from a physician with a certificate, but not from a homeopath without a medical degree.
• Thinking osteopathy is a compulsory benefit. Osteopathy, shiatsu or kinesiology are not among the five methods; more on this under Does health insurance pay for osteopathy?.
• Only taking out supplementary insurance when you have complaints. The insurer can exclude precisely those complaints.
• Overlooking the annual limit. Many sessions use up a limit quickly.

How acupuncture practised by physicians is billed in detail is explained under Does health insurance pay for acupuncture?. This guide compares which supplementary insurance pays what for glasses, fitness or complementary medicine. You will find all other benefits under What does health insurance cover?, and insurer profiles in the health insurer profiles.