Accident insurance

In the event of an accident, basic insurance provides the same benefits as for illness. As with illness, you will also have to contribute towards the costs of medical treatment.

If you are insured against occupational and non-occupational accidents through your employer in accordance with the AIL, 80% of your salary will be covered from the third day following an accident, along with treatment and care costs (with no cost contribution) and pensions in the event of disability or death (for further benefits, see Accident insurance for corporate customers). If your employer has taken out supplementary accident insurance, you will enjoy even more comprehensive benefits.

Insurance against occupational accidents begins automatically on your first day of work. If you work for the same employer for at least eight hours per week, this also applies to insurance against non-occupational accidents.

Insurance against occupational accidents automatically applies from your first day to your last day of work. Once you have left the company, your insurance cover will remain in place for up to 31 days without you having to do anything.

In the event of an extended break, such as unpaid leave, we recommend taking out what is known as negotiated insurance. This can be taken out from the first day of the following month and for a maximum of six months, during which time it offers you all the benefits of accident insurance under the AIL (see question “What is the difference between accident insurance under basic insurance and accident insurance provided through an employer?”). Your (former) employer will provide you with the application form for negotiated insurance.

Pensioners are insured against accidents through their employer for a maximum of 31 days from the date on which they leave the company. You will therefore need to include accident cover in your basic insurance from the first day of the following month at the latest. Please remember to do this, especially in the case of early retirement.

Once you have reached retirement age, we will automatically include accident cover in your policy from the following year. If you continue to work after reaching retirement age, please notify us of this once a year. We will then exclude accident cover.

Sympany’s tourist and tourist subito travel health insurance policies offer global cover and cover emergency treatment in the event of an accident, as well as in the event of illness or premature birth. The insurance also covers transport and rescue costs as well as separate return journeys and trips by your family to visit you. With tourist permanent travel health insurance, you are covered for up to 42 days of holiday each year. With tourist subito, you can take out travel insurance online in just five minutes – with flexible options for anything from 10 to 365 days of travel and with no notice period.

If you undertake military, civilian, Red Cross or civil defence service for 60 or more consecutive days, you will be covered against illness and accidents under military insurance and can suspend your basic insurance. You do not pay any premiums during this time. All information on military service and health insurance >

Exclusion of accident cover  

You can exclude accident cover from your basic insurance and benefit from a premium that is up to 7% lower if:

• you are employed by the same employer for at least eight hours per week and are therefore insured against occupational and non-occupational accidents through them. This also applies to trainees, interns and volunteers.
• you are self-employed and have taken out accident insurance in accordance with the Federal Law on Accident Insurance (AIL).
• you receive unemployment benefits and are insured against accidents with Suva, the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund.

Inclusion of accident cover

You must include accident cover in your basic insurance if:

• you work less than eight hours per week for the same employer.
• you are not or are no longer working. This applies, to housewives or house husbands, students, pensioners and children and young people, for example.
• you are self-employed and have not taken out accident insurance in accordance with the AIL.

• If you have included accident cover in your basic insurance, you must contribute to the treatment costs. More information on cost contribution >
• If you work at least 8 hours a week for the same employer, you are insured against accidents through them. In this case, you do not pay any cost sharing.

You can include accident cover in your basic insurance at any time. Accident cover can be excluded with effect from the first day of the respective following month. Include or exclude accident cover >

No, this is not possible – accident insurance is compulsory. Anyone who is not insured against non-occupational accidents through their employer must include accident cover in their basic insurance. If you forget to include it, you will have to pay the premiums for the accident risk retroactively.

In Switzerland, it is mandatory for all employees to be insured against occupational accidents and illnesses. If you work at least eight hours per week, this insurance cover also extends to non-occupational accidents during leisure time. If you work less than eight hours per week for the same employer, you must take out separate insurance against non-occupational accidents and include accident cover in your basic insurance. Find out more >