Thousands of cross-border workers risk big bills for health insurance

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Tribune de Genève.

Thousands of cross-border workers working in the canton of Geneva, who have not yet formally sorted out their health insurance situation, risk getting a big bill.

This week the canton made a final call to those living in France and working in Geneva to make a formal choice between the French and Swiss health systems, something which must be done before the final deadline on 30 September 2017.

The requirement applies beyond those working in Geneva. Anyone living in France, working anywhere in Switzerland is affected.

Anyone who does not complete the required documentation before the deadline will automatically be transferred to Switzerland’s LAmal programme of compulsory basic health insurance, warned Geneva State Councillor Mauro Poggia. This procedure is part of a Franco-Swiss agreement concluded in July 2016.

For cross-border workers living in France who are paying French social security to have their health care covered in France, the consequences of inaction could be significant. Swiss insurance charges could be backdated up to five years in extreme cases.

Around 100,000 european citizens have already made a formal choice, while an estimated 8,000 haven’t yet. According to Tribune de Genève, warning letters will be sent to employers. In addition, there are estimated to be thousands of Swiss living in France and working in Geneva who have not made a formal declaration.

From next October no one working in Switzerland will be excluded from the Swiss system unless the authorities know where the individual is insured, said Mauro Poggia. No one should ignore the law, he added.

About Investec

Investec is a distinctive Specialist Bank and Asset Manager. We provide a diverse range of financial products and services to a niche client base in three principal markets, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia, as well as certain other geographies. Investec’s strategic goals are motivated by the desire to develop an efficient and integrated business on an international scale through the active pursuit of clearly established core competencies in the group’s principal business areas.

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