Supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung)

A supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) is a private health insurance policy that a person holds in addition to basic insurance. It is not part of the benefits rules of compulsory health insurance (OKP): what it covers, and under which conditions, depends on the individual policy.

According to the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), a supplementary insurance may have to pay for cannabis medicines if the policy provides the corresponding cover (BAG FAQ of 4 March 2025).

How it differs from basic insurance

• According to the BAG, the benefits catalogue of basic insurance currently contains no cannabis medicines, and basic insurance reimburses them only in exceptional cases (BAG FAQ of 4 March 2025).
• In basic insurance, case-by-case reimbursement follows Art. 71a to 71d of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) and requires a prior cost approval, given after consulting the insurer's medical adviser (Art. 71d para. 1 KVV).
• These rules, including the two-week deadline for the insurer's decision, belong to basic insurance (Art. 71d para. 3 KVV). For a supplementary insurance, the policy decides.

Where patients meet it

Ask your insurer which benefits your supplementary policy includes, and whether it needs a request in advance. We cannot promise reimbursement: the decision lies with the insurer. Our article on insurance and cost approval explains both types of insurance.