REGA is not an insurance company. It is a private, non-profit foundation that manages air rescue in Switzerland: the red and white helicopters that come to your aid if you have a heart attack in the mountains, if you fall whilst skiing, or if you simply feel unwell in a hard-to-reach place. It is funded mainly by its subscribers. For 40 francs a year per adult, you can become a subscriber. Children under 18 join for free. You don’t need to be Swiss or hold a European passport: anyone living in Switzerland can subscribe.
What does that mean in practice? It means that if REGA steps in to help you and your insurance does not cover the costs, REGA waives them as a token of appreciation for your support. And the costs are not insignificant: a helicopter rescue costs an average of around 4,500 francs. A complex mountain rescue involving Alpine Rettung teams can easily run into several tens of thousands. If you have a serious accident in Spain whilst on holiday and need to be repatriated by air ambulance, the cost is around 30,000 francs. From South-East Asia, it exceeds 100,000.
The most common misconception is to think that the LAMal covers everything. It does not. In the event of illness, the LAMal pays 50 per cent of the costs of a recognised rescue operation, up to a maximum of 5,000 francs per year. Accident insurance (LAA) covers 100 per cent in the case of a recognised work-related accident. But there are situations that nobody covers in full: a person lost in the mountains without being injured, a complex transfer, or repatriation. That’s when the bill arrives, and without REGA cover, you’ll have to foot it. In theory, basic health insurance provides protection. In practice, when you do the maths, the 40 francs a year is probably the best investment in protection you can make in this country. Sign up at rega.ch. In emergencies: 1414 from within Switzerland, +41 333 333 333 from abroad.