Complementary medicine in Switzerland now a mandatory health insurance service

The Swiss Federal Government has announced that specific medical services using complementary medicine will be covered by mandatory health insurance (basic insurance) as of 1 August 2017.

This will apply to the following disciplines of complementary medicine: anthroposophic medicine, classical homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and herbal medicine, provided these are practised by conventional medical practitioners who have an additional qualification in one of the four disciplines as recognised by the Swiss Medical Association (FMH).

This decision acknowledges that complementary medicine in Switzerland meets statutory regulations when it comes to effectiveness, guaranteeing high quality and safety. It implements one of the key demands of the constitutional referendum held on 17 May 2009, in which the Swiss people voted in favour of complementary medicine being included in public healthcare by a two-thirds majority.