Date of the reply: 18.01.2021
Hello,
Thank you for using the Interroge service, here is the result of our research:
The page Unpaid premiums: what is the risk? of the site Parlons-assurance-maladie.ch proposed by Santésuisse provides the answer to your question.
We first learn that “Until 2012, unpaid basic health insurance premiums led to a suspension of coverage. The coverage of care was therefore blocked until the payment of late invoices. The law has since evolved towards more leniency, and varies according to the cantons. One constant remains: it is impossible to cancel your basic insurance if you have unpaid bills. You will therefore have to repay all your arrears before you can change funds. “
Regarding a person not paying his premiums we can read that “In the event of non-payment of premiums despite a reminder, the health insurance fund is required to bring the debtor into action. If this procedure results in an act of default, or in other words that the insured does not have sufficient means to pay the bill, it is up to the canton to cover 85% of the arrears, and insurance coverage is maintained. In most cases, an inability to pay premiums therefore does not lead to an inability to seek treatment. “
This page also indicates that “some cantons include bad payers on a black list, which can be consulted by doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. Those listed are refused any medical treatment that is not an emergency, until their debt is paid off. This practice is authorized by law, which allows cantons to make exceptions to the general principle. “
At the bottom of the page we can see the list of cantons having a blacklist. As you will see, the canton of Geneva is not included.
In Geneva, the Health Insurance Service (SAM) helps you when you are having difficulty paying your premiums. The page Apply for a 2021 health insurance subsidy on the Canton of Geneva website tells you the procedure to follow. And the page General information on the health insurance subsidy will also be useful to you.
We hope that these elements will help you in your research. Do not hesitate to contact us for any further information or any other question.
Regards,
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