The UVG in Switzerland: what is compulsory accident insurance?

1. What is the UVG?

The UVG is the Federal Accident Insurance Act. Under the UVG, all employees in Switzerland must be insured against occupational accidents and illnesses.

2. How can I insure myself against accidents?

If you work less than 8 hours per week for the same employer or are not working, you need extra accident cover under your compulsory health insurance. The provisions of the Health Insurance Act and not of the UVG apply here. Contact your health insurer to arrange cover.

People who work at least 8 hours per week with the same employer are insured by the employer against accidents. The provisions of the UVG apply here.

Self-employed people can take out voluntary insurance against accidents and occupational illnesses with SUVA or another accident insurance company.

3. Accident insurance: who pays the premiums?

Who pays the premiums of accident insurance under the UVG depends on the type of accident:

• Option of reducing the cost of basic insurance premiums: the benefits covered by basic insurance are the same irrespective of health insurer. In the Comparis health insurance comparison, you can see the best deals at a glance. If service quality is important to you, you can take into account our customer satisfaction surveys when making your decision.

• Better data protection: if you have basic and supplemental insurance with different companies, your medical data for each policy is clearly separated.

• More complicated administration: sometimes, it is not clear whether a treatment is covered by basic or supplemental insurance. In this case, you may find yourself dealing with the hassle of being passed back and forth between insurers. If this happens, you can contact the ombudsman service.

• Possible loss of discounts: some insurers withdraw certain special rates such as family discounts and collective discounts. Consult your supplemental insurance provider directly to find out what applies in your case.

• Administrative surcharges: splitting basic and supplemental insurance may generate higher administration costs for health insurers. They are therefore permitted to charge additional fees.

• More premium invoices: if you don’t take out supplemental insurance with the same provider as your basic insurance, you will receive more premium invoices. If you do not set up a direct debit, you will have more paperwork to deal with.

• No guarantee of acceptance by supplemental insurance providers: if you already have supplemental insurance, you should think carefully about switching. Your application is not guaranteed to be accepted. You should therefore only cancel your current policy once you have definitely been accepted by the new insurer.

• Before sending anything, make copies for future reference.

• Send the bills to your provider of basic health insurance. Inform the insurer that you have supplemental health insurance from another provider. Your basic health insurer will check the bill and send you a statement. Many health insurers now offer digital apps or web portals that you can use for claiming reimbursements. You usually only need to upload a photo or scan of the bill. You will also receive the statement via the insurer’s app or web portal.

• You then send this statement along with a copy of the doctor's invoice to your provider of supplemental health insurance.

• Sometimes you may receive two original invoices to forward to each provider.

• Occupational accidents and illnesses: employers pay the premiums. 

• Non-occupational accidents: employees usually pay the premiums. The share owed will be deducted from their salary. In some cases, the employer pays the entire premium.

The premiums vary according to the income of the insured person and the type of company. The maximum amount of the insured salary under accident insurance is 148,200 francs (2022).

4. Does an excess apply to accident insurance?

In the case of compulsory accident insurance under the UVG through the employer, insured persons are not required to pay a deductible or coinsurance. This applies not only to occupational accidents and illnesses, but also to non-occupational accidents.

5. What accidents are covered by accident insurance? 

Accident insurance under the UVG pays for occupational accidents and illnesses as well as for non-occupational accidents. This applies to accident insurance offered both by private insurers and by SUVA.

What are occupational accidents?

Occupational accidents are defined as accidents that occur:

• During work ordered by or in the interest of the employer;

• During work breaks;

• Before and after work if you are legally in the work area.

If you work for the same employer for less than 8 hours per week, then accidents on the way to work are then also regarded as occupational accidents.

What are non-occupational accidents?

Non-occupational accidents include all accidents that do not count as occupational accidents. These include, for example, a tick bite, bee sting, or a sports accident. 

What are occupational illnesses?

Occupational illnesses are conditions that have been caused by professional activities by

• harmful substances such as ammonia, wood dust or chlorine

• certain work such as animal care or plant contact.

The definitive list of harmful substances and work is set out in Appendix 1 of the Accident Insurance Ordinance (UVV).

Occupational illnesses also include diseases which have been caused exclusively or largely by the person's work. One example of this situation would be long covid caused by working with infected persons or materials.

What else is defined as an accident?

The following health disorders – if they are not primarily due to wear and tear or illness – are considered to be accidents in terms of insurance:

• Fractures

• Dislocated joints

• Torn meniscus

• Torn muscles

• Pulled muscles

• Ruptured tendons

• Ligament lesions

• Eardrum injuries

6. What does UVG insurance cover?

The specific accident insurance benefits are:

• Medical expenses following the accident

• Aids (crutches, wheelchairs, shoes, etc.)

• Travel, transportation, rescue and recovery costs (abroad with restrictions)

• Daily allowance for accident insurance: from the third day after the accident, 80% of the accident-related loss of salary until full recovery or a pension has been set. If you work part time, the daily benefits are reduced accordingly.

• Invalidity pension in case of permanent inability to work: 80% of the loss of earnings

• Impairment compensation and helplessness allowance

• Funeral expenses and survivor's pension in the event of death

The insurance also provides benefits for harm caused to the injured person during treatment.

7. Accident insurance: what is the difference between health insurance and accident insurance?

Accident coverage from employer-provided insurance (UVG) offers much better protection than accident insurance taken out in conjunction with basic insurance under the Health Insurance Act (KVG). With the compulsory accident insurance from a health insurer (under basic insurance), insured persons must contribute to the costs with a deductible and coinsurance. In addition, UVG provides for more benefits than the KVG in the event of a serious accident.