Telemedicine in Switzerland: Telmed model and Telmed numbers
The Telmed model is an alternative insurance model for basic health insurance. Comparis explains the model and its conditions.
15.08.2025
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1. What is the Telmed model in Switzerland?
The Telmed model is a telemedicine model for health insurance. It is one of the alternative insurance models for basic health insurance.
With Telmed, the free choice of doctor is restricted. This means that in the event of health problems, you must always contact the health insurer’s telephone helpline first.
Telmed model in the Comparis health insurance comparison tool
The Comparis health insurance comparison tool shows you at a glance which model a premium belongs to. This allows you to see straight away which point of contact applies to you when you take out the insurance – or whether you have a free choice of doctor.
2. Telemedicine in Switzerland: how does Telmed work?
In the event of illness, you contact the telemedicine helpline of your health insurer. Depending on the health insurer, this can usually be done both by phone and via an app.
When you contact the helpline, medical professionals help you in various ways:
They provide information and determine the next treatment steps.
If necessary, the medical professionals will refer you to a suitable doctor for physical treatment.
The procedure for follow-up treatments and subsequent referrals varies depending on the health insurer. You can find information about this in your policy.
Costs of telemedicine consultations
Good to know: depending on the health insurer, you have to pay different amounts for a telemedicine consultation. Some health insurers will charge you the full cost. With others, you only pay the coinsurance or nothing at all. For this reason, it’s important to compare not only the premiums, but also the conditions of the providers.
3. Telmed in Switzerland: what are the exceptions?
There are some medical exceptions to the Telmed model. In these cases, you are not required to contact the helpline first. Exceptions include (list not exhaustive):
Emergencies – you need to report these afterwards
Annual gynaecological check-ups and check-ups during pregnancy
Eye tests by an ophthalmologist, often only in connection with visual aids
Dental treatment (with most providers)
Some visits to the paediatrician
Important: the exceptions vary from one health insurer to the next. So, check your policy.
You can contact the Telmed hotline, for example, if you need medical advice or an assessment. This may be the case, for instance, if you are showing new symptoms of illness. This way, you can also find out if a visit to the doctor is necessary.
Do you need a prescription, a doctor’s note or a referral to a specialist? Then, your first point of contact is also your Telmed helpline.
4. Telmed in health insurance: what if I go directly to the doctor?
Health insurers act differently in the event of a violation of the terms of the contract. A violation occurs when you go to a doctor without first calling the helpline. Some health insurers, for example, refuse to cover the costs.
Other health insurers will move you to the standard model of basic insurance – thereby excluding you from the Telmed model. This means that you lose the premium discount available under the Telmed model and have to pay the premiums of the standard model. In some cases, you will also have to pay the difference in premiums since the beginning of the year.
Find out more about how the largest providers deal with contract violations in the table below.
5. Telmed model of health insurance: pros and cons
Pros
By opting for advice over the phone, you pay lower premiums. In the Telmed model, a premium discount of up to 25% is possible compared to the standard basic insurance model.
With some health insurers, you can reach the telemedicine centre 24 hours a day.
You can discuss and resolve problems over the phone without having to go to the doctor.
The medical professionals in Telmed health insurance can often issue a doctor’s note. Many employers accept this.
In most cases, you don’t have to look for a doctor yourself, the telemedicine helpline takes care of coordination.
Cons
Remote diagnosis over the phone can lead to incorrect assessments. This can have consequences for health.
The choice of doctor is limited, depending on the health insurer – even after a referral to a specialist.
In the event of a dispute, the Telmed doctor’s note has no probative value due to the lack of a personal examination.
You may be penalized if you don’t contact the telemedicine helpline first.
6. List of Telmed numbers for the largest health insurers
Here you can find an overview of the Telmed telephone numbers for the ten largest health insurers.
| Health insurer | Name of model | Partner | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assura | Qualimed1 (combination of Telmed and family doctor model) | Medgate | 021 555 10 20 |
| Concordia | Smartdoc2 | Medgate | 041 228 18 28 |
| CSS | Callmed1, 2Multimed1, 2 (combination of Telmed and family doctor model) | Medi24 | 058 277 77 77 |
| Groupe Mutuel | Primaflex2 (combination of Telmed, pharmacy and family doctor model) | Medgate | 0800 852 852 |
| Sanatel2 | Medi24 | 0800 726 283 | |
| Helsana | Benefit Plus Telmed1, 2 | Medi24 | 0800 800 090 |
| Premed-242 | Medi24 | 0800 773 633 | |
| KPT | Win.easy1, 2Win.win1, 2 (combination of Telmed and family doctor model) | Medi24 | 058 310 99 99 |
| Sanitas | Compact One2Callmed2 | Medgate | 0844 124 365 |
| Medbase Multiaccess2 (combination of Telmed, pharmacy and family doctor model) | Medgate | 0848 888 777 | |
| Sympany-Vivao | Callmed241, 2Casamed Pharm1, 2 (combination of Telmed and pharmacy model) | Medgate | 0844 852 852 |
| Flexhelp241, 2 (combination of Telmed and HMO model) | Medgate | 0488 654 654 | |
| Swica | Favorit Medpharm1, 2 (combination of Telmed and pharmacy model)Favorit Telmed1, 2Bestcare1, 2 (combination of Telmed and family doctor model) | Santé24 | 044 404 86 86 |
| Visana | Med Call1, 2Tel Doc1, 2Tel Care1, 2Combi Care1, 2 | Medi24 | 0800 633 225 |
1 If you fail to call the first point of contact, the health insurer will not cover some or all of the costs.
2 If you fail to call the first point of contact, the health insurer will move you to the standard basic insurance model after a warning. A waiting period may apply before you can take out an alternative insurance model.
Information correct as of July 2025
This article was first published on 25.07.2023
