Glasses, physio, alternative medicine: what basic insurance pays

At a glance: what basic insurance pays

(Sources: BAG guide to compulsory health insurance, as of 1 January 2026; KLV, Art. 4b and Art. 5; MiGeL as of 1 July 2026, in German)

Physiotherapy: covered on a doctor’s prescription

Basic insurance pays for physiotherapy if a doctor prescribes it and it is provided by a physiotherapist approved under Art. 47 of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) or by an approved physiotherapy organisation. It has to treat a disease of the musculoskeletal or neurological system, or of the internal organs and blood vessels, insofar as physiotherapy can treat it. This is set out in Art. 5 of the Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV, in German).

The rules on sessions (Art. 5 KLV):

• Up to 9 sessions per prescription. The first treatment must take place within five weeks of the prescription.
• More sessions need a new prescription from your doctor.
• After 36 sessions, if the physiotherapy is to continue at the insurer’s expense, your doctor has to report to the insurer’s medical adviser (Vertrauensarzt) and make a reasoned proposal. The medical adviser reviews it and recommends whether, to what extent and for how long the therapy can continue until the next report.

What the list includes: examination and assessment; exercise therapy, manual therapy, respiratory physiotherapy, medical training therapy, lymphatic physiotherapy, exercise therapy in water, cardiovascular physiotherapy and pelvic floor physiotherapy; hippotherapy for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and trisomy 21; and physical measures such as heat and cold therapy, electrotherapy, ultrasound, hydrotherapy and muscle and connective tissue massage. For people aged 65 and over with a moderate or high risk of falling, it also covers assessment and advice following set protocols.

Medical training therapy (training on equipment) starts with an introduction to the equipment and ends at most three months later. An individual physiotherapy session comes first.

Chiropractors are an exception: unlike physiotherapy, treatment by a chiropractor is covered even without a doctor’s prescription (BAG guide).

Physiotherapy is an ordinary basic insurance benefit: your deductible and the 10% retention apply, as they do to other benefits (BAG guide, co-payment). To see how the deductible works, read how to choose your franchise.

Glasses and contact lenses: children yes, adults only in special cases

Glasses and contact lenses are on the Aids and Appliances List (Mittel- und Gegenständeliste, MiGeL), which sets the maximum amounts basic insurance pays. According to the BAG guide, basic insurance contributes up to CHF 180 a year towards glasses and contact lenses prescribed by an ophthalmologist for children and adolescents up to the age of 18. In the case of serious visual impairment or certain illnesses, it pays higher contributions regardless of age.

The MiGeL as of 1 July 2026 (in German) sets out the details:

Some of these positions cannot be combined: for example, the CHF 850 contribution for progressive short-sightedness cannot be claimed together with the standard children’s contribution.

What this means if you are over 18: the list has no general position for adults. If you need glasses for ordinary short- or long-sightedness and none of the special cases applies, basic insurance pays nothing towards them. Whether you get anything back depends on your supplementary insurance, if you have one: check your policy, and see our guide to whether supplementary insurance is worth it.

Like other benefits, the contributions to glasses and contact lenses are subject to your deductible and the retention (BAG guide). Your insurer or ophthalmologist can tell you whether you qualify for a higher contribution.

Complementary medicine: the five methods basic insurance pays

Complementary (alternative) medicine covers methods of diagnosis and therapy used alongside or instead of conventional medicine. The focus is on looking at body, mind and soul as a whole and on activating the body’s own healing powers.

Since 2012 (provisionally, and definitively since 2017), basic insurance (OKP/KVG) has covered five medical complementary methods:

1. Acupuncture (including moxibustion)
2. Anthroposophic medicine
3. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) drug therapy
4. Classical homeopathy
5. Phytotherapy (herbal medicine)

Important: basic insurance only pays if the treatment is provided by a physician with a specialist title and recognised further training in the complementary method (Art. 4b KLV). Non-medical therapists are not covered by basic insurance: for them you need supplementary insurance.

Each year, around a third of the Swiss population uses medical complementary medicine. It costs CHF 18 million a year, just 0.04% of the total costs of basic insurance of CHF 42.2 billion (2024, source: BAG, April 2026).

Do you need a referral?

No. You can go directly to a physician with further training in complementary medicine. You can check your physician’s qualification in the federal register of medical professions MedReg (medreg.admin.ch).

Medical necessity is a requirement. Basic insurance only pays if the treatment is medically justified (for example acupuncture for chronic back pain, or homeopathy for hay fever). Purely preventive treatments and minor complaints such as stress, nervousness or tension are excluded. The five methods are billed under the physicians’ tariff and treated like conventional medical services, minus your deductible and the 10% retention.

Example: acupuncture for chronic back pain is reimbursed. Acupuncture for relaxation without a diagnosed illness is not.

Osteopathy, massage, craniosacral therapy: what supplementary insurance pays

Popular methods such as osteopathy, massage, kinesiology, shiatsu, craniosacral therapy, Ayurveda and foot reflexology are not included in basic insurance (except massage as part of prescribed physiotherapy, see above). For these, you need outpatient supplementary insurance for complementary medicine (VVG).

Depending on the insurer and the product, supplementary insurance offers:

• Reimbursement of a share of the treatment costs (75 to 80% in the products below)
• An annual cap of around CHF 1’000 to 10’000, or none at all
• A deductible with some insurers (CHF 100 to 1’000 a year)
• No deductible with others

Example: osteopathy
Osteopaths set their own fees. At the maximum rates CSS reimburses for osteopathy (CHF 14.50 to 18.00 per 5 minutes, CSS), a 45-minute treatment comes to about CHF 130 to 160. With 10 sessions a year, that adds up to CHF 1’300 to 1’600. With supplementary insurance (for example 80% reimbursement, up to CHF 5’000), you only pay CHF 260 to 320 yourself.

(Source: the insurers’ product pages and terms, linked in the table, checked October 2026)

EMR and ASCA: what “recognised” means

EMR and ASCA are the two most important quality registers for complementary therapists in Switzerland. They check the training and further training of therapists; most large insurers use one or both registers as a recognition criterion, while SWICA and EGK keep their own recognition lists.

Important: “EMR-registered” does not automatically mean “recognised by every insurer”. Each insurer keeps an internal list of methods. Before treatment, check with your insurer whether the method you want is included in your policy.

Which methods does supplementary insurance cover?

Most outpatient supplementary policies cover a selection from more than 100 recognised therapy methods:

• Osteopathy (the most requested)
• Classical massage, lymphatic drainage, sports massage
• Acupressure, shiatsu, tuina, ear acupuncture
• Kinesiology, craniosacral therapy
• Ayurveda, yoga therapy
• Homeopathy (also from non-medical therapists)
• Foot reflexology, cupping
• Hypnosis, relaxation techniques
• Complementary nutritional advice

Often not covered are methods without proven training standards and purely preventive treatments without medical need (for example wellness massages).

Why does homeopathy stay in basic insurance?

Paying for classical homeopathy from basic insurance is often criticised (lack of scientific evidence). In April 2026, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (EDI) decided to keep medical homeopathy in the list of benefits.

The reasons (source: BAG, April 2026):

1. The 2009 vote: Swiss voters approved the constitutional article “Future with complementary medicine” with 67% in favour. Homeopathy was added back to basic insurance in 2012 to implement this article.
2. Marginal costs: complementary medicine costs CHF 18 million a year (0.04% of the total costs of basic insurance). Removing it would not curb costs, since the services would still be billed under physicians’ consultation tariffs.
3. Popularity: around a third of the Swiss population uses complementary medicine. A new evaluation would be expensive and add nothing, as the evidence has not changed significantly since 2012.

Taking out supplementary insurance: what to check

If you regularly use osteopathy, massage or other complementary methods, supplementary insurance pays off from around 5 to 8 treatments a year.

What to look for:

1. Annual cap: CHF 1’000 to 3’000 if you go occasionally, CHF 5’000 to 10’000 for regular treatment.
2. Deductible: policies without a deductible are cheaper if you need several sessions. With a deductible (for example CHF 300), the insurance only pays off if you need more treatment each year.
3. Reimbursement rate: 75 to 90% reimbursement. Higher is better, but the premium is often higher too.
4. Recognised methods: check that the methods you want are covered (your insurer’s list of methods).
5. Recognition of therapists: CSS, Helsana, SWICA and others only pay for therapists they recognise themselves. SWICA keeps its own list.
6. Health questionnaire: for supplementary insurance you have to fill in a health questionnaire, and existing conditions can lead to exclusions. Tip: take out supplementary insurance early, before you fall ill. Our guide to KVG vs VVG explains the difference.
7. Notice period: many supplementary policies must be cancelled by 30 September for the end of the year; your policy terms set the exact date. By law you can cancel at the end of the third year, or any later year, with three months’ notice (Art. 35a VVG).

How does reimbursement work?

For basic insurance (KVG) benefits:

Depending on the practice and the insurer, there are two ways. With tiers payant, the physician sends the invoice directly to your insurer, which then bills you for your deductible and retention. With tiers garant, you receive the invoice, pay it and send it to your insurer.

For supplementary insurance (VVG) benefits:

1. You pay the therapist’s invoice yourself.
2. You submit the invoice to your supplementary insurer (via app, customer portal or post).
3. The insurer checks (recognised method? EMR or ASCA certified? Within the annual cap?) and transfers the reimbursement to your account.
4. Processing time: 1 to 3 weeks.

Important: ask your insurer to confirm cover in writing before treatment to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Common cost traps

1. Double deductible: some insurers charge a deductible on both basic and supplementary insurance. Look for products without a double deductible.
2. Methods not recognised: not every insurer covers every method. Ayurveda, kinesiology and hypnosis are excluded by some. Check the list of methods before you sign.
3. Waiting periods: some insurers have waiting periods (for example 3 to 6 months after you sign). Check whether the treatment you want is covered straight away.
4. Sub-limits: some insurers cap individual methods, for example Groupe Mutuel’s Optimum at no more than CHF 500 a year for massage. Innova reduces benefits if it considers the therapy “not necessary”.
5. Accident insurance: compulsory accident insurance (UVG) only pays for complementary medicine in exceptional cases and to a small extent. You need a doctor’s prescription and prior approval of the costs.

Frequently asked questions

Your next step

If you regularly use complementary medicine or need glasses as an adult, check what your current cover pays:

1. Work out what you need each year: how many treatments, which methods, glasses or contact lenses?
2. Check your current insurance: do you already have outpatient supplementary insurance? What does it cover?
3. Compare offers on comparis.ch, priminfo.admin.ch or directly with CSS, Helsana, Sanitas, SWICA, KPT, Concordia and Groupe Mutuel.
4. Look at: annual cap, reimbursement rate, deductible, recognised methods and recognition of therapists (EMR or ASCA).
5. Mind the notice period: many supplementary policies must be cancelled by 30 September for the end of the year; your policy terms set the exact date. By law you can cancel at the end of the third year, or any later year, with three months’ notice (Art. 35a VVG).

Related guides: KVG vs VVG: basic vs supplementary insurance, Is supplementary insurance worth it?, How to switch health insurance.

Sources:

• Federal Office of Public Health (BAG): The compulsory health insurance system, guide, as of 1 January 2026
• Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV, SR 832.112.31), Art. 4b and Art. 5, as of 1 August 2026
• BAG: Aids and Appliances List (MiGeL), edition of 1 July 2026, chapter 25 (vision aids)
• BAG: Ärztliche Komplementärmedizin, April 2026
• EMR Erfahrungsmedizinisches Register, 2026; ASCA Swiss foundation for complementary medicine, 2026
• Comparis.ch, Quaris.ch, Vergleichscheck.ch: supplementary insurance for complementary medicine, 2026
• ÖKK, AXA, Visana, KPT, Konsumentenschutz: complementary medicine guides, 2026
• Product pages and terms of SWICA, Helsana, CSS, Sanitas, KPT, ÖKK, Groupe Mutuel, Sympany and EGK, checked October 2026 (linked in the table and the FAQ)

About the author

Nicole Bohne

Pension & Relocation Advisor

Nicole Bohne has worked in insurance and pensions for 10 years, including at Basler and Zurich. She specialises in pensions (pillar 3a, risk cover, tax) and in the insurance questions that come with moving to Switzerland. FINMA-registered intermediary (F01536402); she advises in German, English and French.

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