Hans Kölliker is 99 years old, has lived in a residence in the canton of Bern for three years, goes for a walk in the woods and personally carries his bills. So when he saw that his monthly care fee had gone from 364 to 1,092 francs from one month to the next, he went straight to ask what had happened. The answer they gave him: a “hydration tracker.” The staff notices that he does not drink enough and reminds him that he has to do it when he passes by his room. Management shrugs and blames a billing software update.
What this case illustrates is how the care system works in Swiss EMS. Rates are not fixed: they are calculated according to the level of dependency of the resident, assessed through a standardized scale. Whenever a need for additional assistance is detected, the system can automatically reclassify that level and generate a significant invoice jump. In theory everything is regulated, in practice errors or unjustified reclassifications happen, and there is not always someone who questions them.
What you should know if you have or will have to manage the entry of a family member into a Swiss residence: the monthly bill has several parts (accommodation, maintenance, care), and the care part is subject to periodic review. One part is paid by the resident, another by the sickness fund and another, depending on the financial situation, by the canton through social assistance. If the bill rises suddenly, a detailed written justification can and must be requested. Hans Kölliker has already said that he has no intention of letting it go.