Summer in Switzerland is the season for the mountains. Hiking trails, via ferratas, mountain biking, walking with the children. And with the heat we’re having, people are heading up into the mountains more than ever. What very few people realise is what happens if something goes wrong.
In Switzerland, when you call 144 and a helicopter is sent out, it isn’t free. A mission by REGA, the Swiss air rescue service, costs on average around 4,500 francs. Compulsory health insurance (LAMal) covers 50 per cent of rescue costs in Switzerland, up to a maximum of 5,000 francs per year. This means that for a standard rescue, you could be left with a bill of over 2,000 francs to pay out of your own pocket. In complex operations, search-and-rescue missions or avalanche accidents, the cost can run into tens of thousands.
There is a solution that costs 40 francs a year per person, around 70 for a whole family. It is called the “REGA donor subscription”. Technically, it is not insurance, but a voluntary contribution to the organisation. In return, REGA waives any charges for what your insurer does not cover. In practice, you leave hospital without any outstanding debt to the rescue service, whatever the cost of the operation.
You can sign up directly at rega.ch in five minutes. Many Swiss people have had it for as long as they can remember and don’t think to mention it to newcomers. Just like so many things in this country: nobody explains it to you; it’s simply taken for granted.