A recent case of a Swiss pensioner has helped to reveal how one-third of the dentists practicing in the country ‘inflate’ their prices. But how does the system work?
The case in question involves a retiree from Winterthur (ZH) who, as Swiss media reported, was shocked to discover a 4,000-franc bill for the treatment of just one tooth.
Surprised by this amount, he asked his dentist for an explanation.
The dentist allegedly provided only a vague explanation, prompting the man to submit the bill to the cantonal conciliation body, which deemed it correct.
The pensioner then paid the invoice, though still believing the amoung was exaggerated.
However, alerted to the case by the media, the Swiss Dental Association examined the bill, deeming it almost 800 francs too high.
For the treatment in question, the dentist overcharged the patient by 14 points (see more about this below).
And, according to dental insurance specialists, this is not an isolated case.
In fact, a third of all dentists reportedly overcharge by between 50 and 100 francs.
Overall, they estimated that overbilling in Switzerland adds up to 200 million francs per year.
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Who sets dental prices in Switzerland?
While the Federal Office of Public Health sets prices for healthcare, dental treatments are not part of this tariff system as, unlike medical costs, they are not covered by the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal).
It is up to the umbrella organisation, the Swiss Dental Association (SSO), to establish a price list for over 500 dental treatments.
It is determined by the number of points assigned to each treatment and the value of each tariff point.
This is how the SSO explains this system on its website:
“The dentist’s hourly rate includes the salaries of the practice team members, premises costs, depreciation, and materials that are not directly billed to the patient. Furthermore, of the dentist’s total working hours, only approximately 80 percent is considered work directly billable to patients. The remaining 20 percent corresponds to the hours the dentist must devote to office administration and mandatory continuing education.”
In terms of the rather complex (for laypeople) points system, “to convert points into francs, the number of points must be multiplied by the point value. For social security purposes, the point value has been set at 1 franc.”
Those are the guidelines, and the majority of Swiss dentists comply with them.
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So what can explain the inflated bill the pensioner had to pay?
Because dentists in Switzerland operate privately, they are free to set their own prices.
A dentist can therefore decide to charge a lower point value (that is, less than 1 franc).
It can’t, however, exceed 1.70 francs.
Whatever the charges, they should be transparent, the SSO says, adding that “each dental practice must display the point value charged and include it on the fee statement as well.”
What about dental insurance?
As you probably know by now if you live in Switzerland, KVG / LaMal doesn’t include dental insurance; however a number of complimentary plans do.
Prices vary greatly and depend on the range of services provided for in the plan.
For adults, insurance usually falls in the range of 30 to 60 francs per month, while kids’ insurance is quite a bit cheaper.
As with any complimentary insurance, you should purchase a dental policy while your teeth are in good condition and you haven’t had any major treatments.
If your teeth are in a bad shape and you have already had costly treatments, then your premiums will be much higher or, even more likely, you will be refused coverage altogether (unlike the obligatory health insurance, which cannot exclude anyone from coverage, supplemental plans can pick and choose their clients).
If you don’t qualify for dental insurance but need treatment, you can deduct your dental bill from your Swiss taxes.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about dental insurance in Switzerland
