Are you well insured for skiing accidents?

Non-professional accidents will be covered by the compulsory accident insurance (called the LAA) taken out by your employer. The LAA provides two types of benefit:

Also, you will be able to take advantage of the optional supplementary LAAC contract, if your employer has chosen to subscribe to it. The LAAC also provides two types of benefit: a benefit in kind (for example: the reimbursement of medical expenses in a private ward) and a cash benefit (the extension of the basic coverage).

It is the compulsory basic health insurance, the LAMal, that covers the expenses generated by the accident. Therefore, the following expenses will be reimbursed: costs of medical treatment, auxiliary equipment, the costs of rescue and transport after reduction for the deductible and the coinsurance. As a reminder, the total deductible can vary from 300 to 2,500 CHF depending on the choice of the person insured at the time the insurance is contracted and the partial deductible can engender a 10% participation in costs with a limit of 700 CHF/year.

You should also be aware of the limitations: the LAMal only covers the cost of a hospital stay in the public division as well as 50 % of the rescue costs in Switzerland (for a maximum amount of 500 CHF for transport by ambulance and 5,000 CHF/year for transport by helicopter).

In addition to the LAMal, you may have taken out supplementary health insurance, the LCA. This provides an extension of the basic coverage, such as hospitalisation in private division or cover for the share of rescue and transport not assumed by the LAMal.

You have the same coverage with the LAMal and the same limitations and reductions for the deductible and the coinsurance as those listed in the paragraph above. You can also take out private accident insurance which will cover you for both professional and non-professional accidents. Your medical expenses will be covered, without a deductible or coinsurance, and you will receive a pension if you are unable to work.

Regardless of the status, in the event of a serious violation of basic safety rules outside secured slopes, the person insured exposes themself to a reduction of the insurance benefits (daily indemnity and pension).

It is difficult to navigate through insurance contracts. So a translator is therefore to be recommended – and that is the role of your broker! Asking for advice is even more important as an accident can have severe consequences for your assets due to the costs entailed and also due to the loss of earnings risk. And then, unfortunately, there is the risk of loss of life due to an accident, and it is necessary to think of the survivors (children, spouse) and their protection.

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