 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@ster, well spotted…thanks for posting
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Switzerland Charges Italy for Some Medical Costs After Crans-Montana Fire
The move from Switzerland has provoked widespread anger and disbelief in Italy.
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, said it was “disgraceful”.
In a statement to the Reuters news agency at the weekend the Federal Social Insurance Office, FSIO, confirmed its plans for Switzerland to retrieve money spent on hospital treatment.
The FSIO said that under current agreements between the EU states and Switzerland, the victims would receive an invoice for verification purposes, but the costs would fall to the relevant foreign health insurer.
“I am learning from press reports that the Swiss authorities are going to ask Italy to pay for the exorbitant medical expenses that the Sion hospital would have covered for the hospitalization, even for a few hours, of some children injured in the Crans-Montana fire,” Prime Minister Meloni posted on Facebook on Friday as the news emerged.
“If this vile request was to be formalized, I announce from now on that Italy will reject it to the sender and won’t give it any follow-up.
“I trust the Swiss authorities’ sense of responsibility and hope that the news turns out to be completely baseless.”
Italy’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, said Rome would send back any invoices that arrive.
He said the mechanism for the recovery of the health care costs should not be applied because of the ‘moral responsibility’ of the Swiss authorities for the disaster.
He pointed out that two young Swiss patients injured in the bar fire had been treated for months at Milan’s Niguarda hospital without Rome asking for any money
“If these are the agreements, then Italy will not avail itself of them: we will not bill the expenses of the two Swiss boys hospitalised with us, and we expect Bern to do the same,” he said.
Hmm, under the EHIC system it's normal for hospital costs in one country to be reimbursed by the health system of the EHIC holder's country, so Switzerland is following the normal arrangements. However in this case since there's allegations of official negligence in regards to the safety checking of the bar where the fire occurred perhaps they could waive any charges?
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@Alastair Pink, when it comes to rules this is a pretty good illustration of the difference between Switzerland and Italy!
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
Hmm, under the EHIC system it's normal for hospital costs in one country to be reimbursed by the health system of the EHIC holder's country, so Switzerland is following the normal arrangements. |
And within Switzerland the system, both internal and external, is that everything is paid for out of health insurance (or privately in some cases). It is not a state-funded health service, the hospitals are not charities, costs need to be reimbursed.
In the long term those costs could be claimed back by the various insurers if liability is placed onto the owners or inspectors/official/whoever, but someone has to pay it initially.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Force majeure.
EHIC / GHIC works brilliantly for an individual busted knee or a bang on the head, but a major incident like this would normally just get dealt with by the local medical facilities and assisted by local or state govt emergency response planning. Can't imagine the NHS ever dreaming of passing on bills.
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Can't imagine the NHS ever dreaming of passing on bills.
maybe they should.....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Bob, they possibly do request payment for countries in the GHIC scheme. It will be a reimbursement arrangement though rather than individual invoicing.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Normal procedure.
Terrible optics.
Someone should have thought a bit more deeply.
We have used Sion repeatedly, since it is our local A&E.
I personally have not experienced 'exorbitant' fees.
As UK residents we have been charged, over an 18 year period, beyond the reciprocal NHS exchange:
1 33chf for an overnight for the Grom after he headplanted a concrete block aged 2.5 - huge lump, suspect fractured skull and overnight observation. We arrived by car.
2 40chf for suturing a head injury and cleaning a deep arm wound after glacier heaps collapsed under me on the way to the Bertol hut. I walked down and then popped in for them to check me.
3 90chf for overnight for Grommette last year when she was heli'd off the mountain after loss of consciousness following a fall, neck fracture and wrist fracture.
4 precisely zero chf for wrenching out a deer tick which I couldn't get out with tick tweezers since it had REALLY dug itself into my forearm.
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@valais2, I personally haven't used Swiss healthcare, but there are a lot of references to it on this forum, and most are charged very little for it.
Our own experiences of emergency treatment and surgery in France has been similar. Only charges have been any GP fees, and the daily hospital fee. Neither of us were charged 20% of the costs of our surgeries, as hubby's was to repair a neck fracture, and mine to remove a ready-to-burst appendix. Different if we were having something done that wasn't potentially life-threatening.
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FAQ
