Alternative medicine

You can contact us using our dedicated form so that we can check whether the therapist and the planned treatment are recognised by Groupe Mutuel and whether you have supplemental insurance to cover the treatment.

Basic insurance (AOS/OKP) covers the costs of medical care for acupuncture, anthroposophic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, classical homeopathy and phytotherapy. These treatments must be carried out by an FMH-accredited specialist in general medicine with a recognised certificate for the relevant therapy.

For alternative medicine treatments covered by supplemental insurance, you don’t need a medical prescription. However, if you intend to make greater use of the treatments, you may need to justify the therapeutic purpose with medical evidence in the form of a medical report.

It is the responsibility of health insurers to curb the rise in health costs in order to guarantee affordable supplemental insurance premiums. Groupe Mutuel now ensures that the treatments reimbursed by supplemental insurance have a therapeutic purpose. If a medical treatment or alternative therapy is no longer medically justified and no longer provides a therapeutic improvement, the insurer will inform the insured person that benefits will be reduced or terminated or will request additional evidence, such as a medical report.

• Efficacy: a treatment must contribute to the intended diagnostic or therapeutic objectives.
• Appropriateness: a treatment must be relevant and appropriate in relation to alternatives, and comply with ethical and quality standards.
• Cost-effectiveness: a treatment must be clearly measurable either, for example, by a favourable cost-benefit ratio compared with alternatives, or by a higher benefit that justifies additional costs.