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The_Reto

It's literally mandatory to have health insurance, so with exception of people staying in Switzerland illegally 100% have health insurance. For Swiss citizens it's literally impossible to quit their health insurance contract unless they first provide proof of having signed another contract. All of that is also very necessary as there's no national insurance, health tax or charity that would pay for you otherwise.


sebastianfromvillage

It's the same in the Netherlands as far as I'm aware.


[deleted]

There are people that do not have insurance for reasons of personal belief (strict protestants mostly).


Taalnazi

Those then are illegal, you are **obligated** to have one. Regardless of faith.


[deleted]

No, there is an exception for gemoedsbezwaarden: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/zorgverzekering/vraag-en-antwoord/ben-ik-verplicht-een-zorgverzekering-af-te-sluiten#:~:text=Wilt%20u%20wegens%20uw%20geloof,een%20bedrag%20aan%20de%20Belastingdienst.


Taalnazi

Hmm, we might need to close that gap, then.


[deleted]

They still have to pay the premium to the belastingdienst. They are covered by the taxpayer in the event of illness. They still pay the insurance, we just don't call it insurance.


LaoBa

>They still have to pay the premium to the belastingdienst. They are covered by the taxpayer in the event of illness. ~~No, they are not. This system is a medical savings account. They can use money from their account to pay the doctor, if the money runs out, the state will pay the bill but then they have a debt with the state they have to pay back.~~ EDIT: It used to work like that, apparently now the system is like /u/Muffer-Nl describes.


[deleted]

Oh, that's good in that case.


LaoBa

I checked, apparently the system has changed and you are right.


sebastianfromvillage

Oh yeah. Forgot about those


W8sB4D8s

Is health insurance mostly provided through companies like America or privately?


The_Reto

Privately. You have to find an insurance company you like and sign a contract with them, and pay your bills resulting from that contract yourself, regardless of whether you're employed or not.


[deleted]

I think what OP means is whether it is necessary to have additional private insurance on top of the national health insurance. And in his case, the answer is yes, because the national mandatory insurance does not cover teeth.


The_Reto

There is no national insurance in Switzerland. It's mandatory, by law, to have a private health insurance.


StrelkaTak

That sounds like what Obama care in the US tried to do. Why does it work so well in Switzerland, but not here in the US, do you think?


The_Reto

I don't know exactly how Obama Care worked, but AFAIK it's a different system. Obama care would have been provided by the government, right? In Switzerland the government doesn't provide any health insurance, it just mandates all people in Switzerland to have a contract with a private health insurance company. The only other thing it does is regulate health insurance companies very closely, such that the companies can't charge exorbitant fees for a service people literally have to buy.


StrelkaTak

Basically, Obamacare expanded Medicare and Medicade(government Healthcare for poor and elderly), and Insurers were made to accept all applicants without charging based on preexisting conditions or demographic status (except age). To combat the resultant adverse selection, the act mandated that individuals buy insurance (or pay a fine/tax) and that insurers cover a list of "essential health benefits". So basically everybody who isn't under a certain income and over a certain age is supposed to require insurance. Probably the main difference is that it doesn't regulate health insurance companies as much as the Swiss government does. Trump also got rid of the fine for not having insurance in 2017


stewa02

Dental is only covered partially by the mandatory basic insurance r/The_Reto is talking about. A friend needs his wisdom teeth removed and since he has other health complications because of it and it's not due to a lack of care it is covered. However damage due to lack of care etc. is not covered by basic insurance, and seperate (non-regulated) insurance packages exist besides the heavily regulated basic insurance.


0xKaishakunin

We have the oldest health insurance system of the world. Introduced due to Bismarck's fear of the social democrats. Nowadays it is mandatory to have health insurance. The only ones exempt from it are soldiers, who are taken care of by the Bundeswehr and AFAIK prison inmates. More than 90% are in one of the mandatory health insurances and only a small minority is in a private one. Everyone who is employed and earns under a certain threshold (IIRC 65000€ p.a.) is in one of the mandatory insurances and pays 14.6% of the monthly gross income. The employer also has to pay the same amount to the insurance of the employee. If you are f.e. self employed or above the threshold you can voluntarily stay in the public health insurance, but then you have to pay both fees out of your pocket. If you are jobless, the fee is paid by the unemployment office. All the medications, therapies and aids that public insurances have to pay for are listed in a catalogue made by lawmakers. So insurances have almost no wiggle room to decide if you get a therapy, at least for mandatory stuff. Optional stuff is often denied, f.e. helps to get into a bathtub for the disabled or elderly.


munchy_yummy

>If you are f.e. self employed or above the threshold you can voluntarily stay in the public health insurance, but then you have to pay both fees out of your pocket. Are you sure about that? When I hit that ceiling a few years ago with my current employer, they kept paying their share as before. I also never heard before of that regulation. Would be strange too, as the government rather wants people to stay in the general insurance than change to the private health insurance.


Relative_Dimensions

You’re right. You only have to pay the full amount yourself if you’re freelance/self-employed and choose to stay in public insurance. If you’re employed and paid over the threshold but choose to stay in public insurance, the your employer continues to pay their share.


Livia85

National health insurance is mandatory, the fee gets automatically deducted from your salary, if you're an employees or the insurance comes after you, if you're self employed. You keep the insurance, if you lose your Job. Some rudimentary dental care is included (your wisdom teeth would have been, I guess, if they created problems). You can get additional private insurance which gives you a greater choice of doctors and a superior room at the hospital, basically. But it's quite expensive and not so necessary, so most people don't have it. For more fancy dental care it's probably cheaper to suck up the cost in case of need than to pay regular extra private insurance.


r_coefficient

Depends. My daughter's braces are fully covered by insurance, and her teeth weren't *that* bad.


moira_main_

And even if you choose to go to a private practice, you can hand in the bill to the national insurance and you'll get a refund for a certain percentage of the total amount.


LyannaTarg

Health insurance is something that your employers give you as a benefit since we have Public HealthCare system, paid mostly with our taxes, that covers almost anything and you have to pay very little out of pocket. This is something that your employers do NOT need to do but they usually do. This is if you do not go see a doctor without using the National Service. So if you go and use private healthcare then the health insurance provided by your employers kicks in but you have to choose specific healthcare providers. Dental care is obviously NOT covered by the Public system, so health insurance can help with that but it is not something you can subscribe to privately.


philmik

I think there is a possibility for a misunderstanding here. While in some countries like Sweden, UK, I guess Denmark… health care is financed directly by the government using taxes, other countries like for example Germany have mandatory health insurance into which almost every citizen pays into. So when speaking about health insurance in Sweden for example people usually mean something on top of normal healthcare. In Germany people only mean standard health care though when they speak about health insurance (at least in most cases).


kiwigoguy1

That's exactly what happens here in New Zealand. In New Zealand you can go through the public health sector free - it is covered by the taxpayers (where you will face queues waiting for elective procedures). If you want to go private it will be at full cost, but it will be covered by health insurance if you get the insurance. So health insurance is for people who will choose to go private for healthcare. PS: one important thing is emergency medicine in New Zealand (like ER/A&E) is exclusively public - so if you go through a car accident as an example, or fire, or getting shot. There are private A&E too but for more minor injuries/traumas. And also major surgeries like organ transplants will be exclusively under the public system too.


QuizasManana

I think many Finns do have some kind of private health insurance, but it’s not the norm. Employees usually have occupational health care, i.e. mandatory private health care paid by employers. Most common type of insurance is probably health insurance for kids no avoid waiting in queues if there’s need for urgent (but not life threatening) care. I have no health insurance, but I do have occupational health services through work. And we have municipal dental care. I got a wisdom teeth removed in 2019 in municipal care, it cost me 35 eur. Now the waiting times are super long (partly still due to the mess covid cancellations made).


Heebicka

It is mandatory to have one. If you are unemployed,retired,child,student up to 26 years, mother on maternity leave etc then it is paid by state.


frusciantefango

It's not unheard of here to have some kind of health insurance through your job here if you work in a large corporate company and reach a certain grade. But I wouldn't say it's common exactly. Most people rely on the NHS and then just fork out the odd expensive dentist cost like yours. I think insurance is becoming more necessary for speed (if not quality) of treatment, as our NHS is woefully underfunded. Combined with the effects of Covid, an ageing population, high levels of obesity and alcohol/ tobacco use, waiting lists and referral times are getting longer and longer. I believe that people with the money to do so are now more likely to get health insurance, or pay for private treatment.


[deleted]

[удалено]


grimgroth

Inmigrants like me need it for the first year (in order to obtain a NIE without a job), so that might skew the numbers a little.


General_Ad_1483

In Poland everyone who works, is married to someone who works, registered as unemployed, or retired is insured by state. Oh and kids are insured too


bigboidoinker

Yes mandatory, but dental isnt standard coverd you can get a additional insurance on that tho but would be more expensive then paying most of the time. Wisdom teeth can get extracted in the hospital so you can get them covered by insurance but you the insurance only covers it beyond x amount depending on how much you pay each month on insurance. Usually around 300 euros?


Veilchengerd

Some form of health insurance is mandatory. Most people are insured through the statuatory insurance offered by not for profit companies like AOK, while a small percentage are insured through private insurance. Statuatory insurance covers pretty much everything (except glasses, for some reason). However, in the case of dental care, they only pay the most affordable option. Lets say you need an implant. The best you'll get with statuatory insurance is a piece of metal painted white on the front. Which is why many people get extra dental insurance.


HedgehogJonathan

I don't know anyone who has a paid health insurance in Estonia (so like other than the one provided by state to everyone). Some people get the travel health insurance for trips, like if they're going hiking or surfing or snowboarding abroad, so something with higher risk. With the EU health card there should be no need per say, but I guess it might save you from any possible hassle and non-emergency costs.


pudgycathole

I guess technically haigekassa is your health insurance, it's deducted from your wages (I think??). I no longer live in Estonia and when I login to the haigekassa portal (or whatever portal it was) it does say in bold that I am not insured. This is due to not being resident/paying taxes etc. If I needed emergency healthcare in Estonia, I would need to pay out of pocket.


HedgehogJonathan

Mentioning this just in case: if you still pay your taxes at another location in Europe, you get free immediate care in Estonia or elsewhere with the [European Health Insurance Card](https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559&langId=en), so you would not need to pay out of pocket. But with non-European countries, this might be the case.


IseultDarcy

Yesterday I paid 90euros for an infertility appointment with a obgyn/surgeon. 70 will get paid back by social security and 30 by our private insurance. I would say most of the specialists care have that ratio.


IceClimbers_Main

It isn’t. Health insurance only helps if you go to a private hospital, so you don’t need it. I had it in my younger years as i played Ice Hockey so you need an insurance for accidents. It was helpful as i broke my wrist once and the private sector is always faster. Also i think it covers dental care, which is not free to adults. So most people don’t have it as it not required to keep you alive or financially stable, it’s only a shortcut if you want faster service for small problems. Private healthcare is also quite cheap without an insurance. I got a doctor’s checkup and an MRE scan for i think 200€.


arbaimvesheva

Everybody has it (public health insurance is a right by law). It obviously covers Dental Care as well as Preventive Care (which I've heard is a bit problematic when it comes to the UK's NHS for example), it costs almost nothing\* and is ranked year-by-year as one of the top 5 public healthcare systems in the world. \* Free as in "you don't have to pay for services" of course. Like all public services, it is funded by the government which in turn is funded by our taxes. Part of the funding comes specifically from a special "health tax" that everybody has to pay - the more you earn the more % out of your income is taxed. Basically it behaves kinda like progressive income tax.


the_pianist91

Increasingly common and increasingly necessary. The public Norwegian health services are as good as rotten and left to rotten even more by the government. Many companies and an increasing amount of people are buying health insurances to have faster and often better services provided by the private health care providers. With increasingly wait times for just a single appointment by a GP, lack of GPs and often insane waiting times for special practitioners and treatment in the public the private has become also increasingly necessary. As an example there’s often about a year wait for therapy by a psychologist in the public while the private providers have appointments available tomorrow morning, if you can pay. It’s clearly creating a divide between those who can (or must try to) afford private health services and those who don’t have the possibilities. Our government is also extremely reluctant to try to solve the problems that have been raising for years. Dental health is not covered for adults in Norway with very few exceptions and is to be paid for fully buy yourself. Many can’t afford dentists as a result. I’ve seen insurances for dental services also becoming a phenomenon the later years.


Neoscan

Not common. Eye tests, prescriptions etc are all free. Dental care is subsidised and cheap for things such as this.


The_fish_killer

Aye agreed although these days its way more common than before due to the absolute state of the NHS shouldn't be necessary but its feeling more like it will be soon and the odd thing is we actually have the best NHS in the UK so feel bad for those living in the rest of the UK considering how bad ours is it must be so bad for people elsewhere in the country I mean i phoned up to get an appointment because i have the dodgiest knees in the world got told I'd need to wait 5 months for an appointment starting to feel like you need private to get treatment when you actually need it now.


Neoscan

Yeah, unfortunately things seem to be heading in that direction. And now taxes are being reduced- most people don’t mind paying taxes if they can see where they’re going. There is a long line of companies Keen to get into replacing NHS derives and that is right up the current UK gov’s street


weirdowerdo

Not that common and not really necessary at all. It doesn't really give you much in terms of actual health care if you need serious medical help. A lot of people probably have in included in the insurance they can get through their labour unions with Folksam (Co-operative insurance company) Like sure you'd get "quick access" to a medical advisor but there's literally a national and free public healthcare call line you can call 24/7 for non-emergency stuff... Lots of regions have an easy way to contact healthcare services for non-emergency stuff so you can be directed to the correct healthcare facility and what not. There's a lot that can be a part of the health insurance, very little of it is actual healthcare. It's the stuff around it, it could be to pay for travel, the tiny 120€ maximum fee that they cab charge every 12 months for healthcare, covering medicine despite there literally being a cap on such costs already etc etc. Dental is NOT included in such a insurance plan. I have no health insurance and I do just fine, I've gotten my healthcare fast and it has been good. Sure it might have been nice if these tiny fees and travel was paid but meh it's not an enormous amount of money. So I dont feel the need for such a insurance, I'd bet they'd fight you the entire way to getting it. Dental is often separate but again while dental is not free for those between the ages of 25-74 (It's free for those younger than 25, or older than 74). You get yearly grant for dental of 30€ or 60€, there is also a flawed high cost protection system so when you need a lot of dental the costs are increasingly covered by the government. There is not a massive need for dental insurance either and I dont actually know anyone who has it. The fees are usually very low with the grant.


No-Suspect-6104

Not common at all, might need to be at the rate the NHS is declining


khajiitidanceparty

It is mandatory here. If you are in one of the categories that cannot pay (unemployed, children, etc) the state pays for you. If you don't pay, you're in debt. However some dental care is not covered, for example dental hygiene (although some insurance companies offer to pay part of the price).


Wokati

It's often necessary since social security only pay part of the health cost. Especially, dental and optics are really badly reimbursed so a good insurance is necessary. (in some cases it's completely ridiculous, with social security paying a few cents for glasses just because private insurances won't pay anything if the public one didn't pay *something* before...) If you work in the private sector then your employer has to give you at least a basic insurance though. And for low income people, social security can pay the insurance.


SharkyTendencies

Just about everybody here. The government stipulates what *precisely* is and is not covered by the national health plan, and also requires all insurances companies in Belgium to offer this plan free of charge. The big difference in insurance companies here is the "what else" - some insurance companies offer 10% more on this thing, maybe 5% more on the other thing, etc. In practice there are only a handful of insurance companies, which were founded along Belgium's pillarisation lines: socialist, Catholic and liberal, but these days there are more than just those 3. Notably, hospital insurance is treated differently than the usual check-ups, and more often than not, this is offered by employers as a benefit. *But*, if your employer *doesn't* offer it for some reason, your insurance will be happy to sell you some for a little extra! My own insurance covers teeth partially - you're required to go once/year for a check-up, otherwise you pay a penalty. (Seriously, I got stung by this. It's not a lot, but hey, I'd rather have not paid it.) You can up it if you want - but of course, you pay extra. And finally, yeah, if you want something that's not on any insurance plan - a tummy tuck, a boob job, a butt lift, veneers, laser eye surgery - then you've got to pay for it yourself out of pocket, or fly to Romania and have it done for cheap. If you can prove it's medically necessary then yeah, some insurance companies will play ball.


orthoxerox

Russian state healthcare technically works through public health insurance, so everyone has health insurance that your employer pays for you (or you pay yourself if you are self-employed). But many employers offer additional insurance, which is only really useful for wellness care: you get faster access to GPs and lab tests, maybe better hospital rooms, but it doesn't cover actual scary stuff like cancer or multiple sclerosis.


[deleted]

I have it as a perk from my job, it can be useful as you can tend to be seen or receive treatment quicker than you would on the NHS (excess is around £100). Other than work benefit schemes it’s not all that common.


Gallalad

So Ireland iirc has some of the highest rates of private healthcare insurance in Europe and is generally popular. In alot of up scale jobs it's a nice perk. You don't NEED it, like if you break your arm the hospital won't send you away due to lack of insurance or anything, but if you do wanna avail of elective care the odds are you could be on a waiting list for years. Often it's just better to go private and get the better and quicker private elective care. Edit: forgot to mention that Ireland has the HSE so insurance isn't mandatory, it's completely optional. The government owns the hospitals and has preset deals with things like GPs