24 June 2026

At its session of 24 June 2026, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on an amendment to the Health Insurance Act (HIA) under which compulsory health insurance would reimburse certain medical devices and materials that insured persons purchase privately in the European Economic Area (EEA). At present, items acquired privately abroad are generally not reimbursed on account of the principle of territoriality, so that insured persons and the compulsory health insurance can benefit from sometimes cheaper foreign offers only in exceptional cases.

Building on the Federal Council's report in fulfilment of Motion Heim 16.3169, the proposal leaves it to the Federal Council and the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) to determine at ordinance level which products may be reimbursed when acquired in an EEA member state – chiefly consumables, which account for around 50 per cent of the CHF 727 million cost volume of the Medical Devices and Materials List (Mittel- und Gegenständeliste, MiGeL) in 2023. The measure is intended to contain costs and foster competition, may be implemented on a temporary basis to allow its effects to be assessed, and does not extend to medicinal products, which remain non-reimbursable when purchased abroad.

For more information, see here.