Every canton keeps its own hospital list. This list can include hospitals situated both in- and outside that canton. It is designed to cover all medical services required by the inhabitants of the canton. The hospitals that figure on that list may bill the treatment costs to the patient's canton of residence and his/her basic insurance. They are so-called listed hospitals. These hospitals and clinics are given a mandate by the cantonal government, which defines the range of services provided. The mandate dictates which medical service may be offered and what obligations and requirements must be met.
You can find the cantonal hospital lists at GDK (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Health Directors).
On 1 January 2012, the new hospital financing regime was introduced. Since then, basic insurance and the canton of residence fully cover hospital treatment in another canton if the hospital in question is on a hospital list and the costs (per-case flat rate) are no higher than they would have been in the canton of residence. If the per-case rate exceeds the corresponding rate in the canton of residence, it has to be paid by the patient or his/her supplemental insurance. As before, basic insurance also covers all treatment that is not available in the canton of residence (transplants, for instance) as well as emergency treatment.
