Key points at a glance
  • Legal obligation: Employers are obligated to insure their employees against the consequences of accidents and occupational illnesses.
  • Comprehensive protection: Accident insurance protects you and your employees against the financial consequences of an accident and covers the costs of medical treatments, continued salary payments, and pensions. 
  • Attractive add-ons: Supplementary accident insurance (UVGZ) can be taken out to expand compulsory accident insurance (UVG) coverage with additional benefits such as a private ward in hospitals and capital in the event of disability and death.

Who needs statutory accident insurance?

Whether your company employs people full-time or part-time, whether you have interns, trainees or people who help you with your work in your own home, accident insurance is a legal requirement for all staff. AXA offers reliable coverage in line with the law that saves you time and money.

Legal background

The Swiss Federal Accident Insurance Act (AIA) (in German) requires employers to insure their staff against occupational accidents and sickness – as well as non-occupational accidents if they work at least eight hours a week. People who aren’t in paid employment – e.g. housewives and house husbands, children, students, and pensioners – are by definition not exposed to the risk of occupational accidents. They must insure themselves against accidents and their effects through basic health insurance. Anyone registered as unemployed is automatically covered by the accident insurance scheme for unemployed persons. Self-employed people, who are essentially responsible for their own insurance, have the option of taking out private accident insurance under the AIA (Art. 4 AIA) (in German).

Occupational accident, occupational sickness, and non-occupational accident

Any accident that occurs while someone is doing their job or on a break at work or immediately before or after their working hours is regarded as an occupational accident. Any sickness that is mainly attributable to a person’s job – e.g. as a result of breathing in harmful substances – is regarded as an occupational sickness. Accidents on the way to or from work or during free time while taking part in sports, at home or in traffic are regarded as non-occupational accidents.

However: accidents on the way to or from work count as occupational accidents for people who work fewer than eight hours per week for a given employer.

  • Teaser Image
    What you need to know about mandatory accident insurance

    Companies are legally obligated to insure their staff. Mandatory accident insurance covers the costs that can arise due to occupational and non-occupational accidents and occupational sickness. Read on to find out more.

    To the accident insurance blog

What does mandatory accident insurance cover?

The benefits offered by mandatory accident insurance are legally defined in Switzerland. It goes without saying that AXA reliably offers all the required benefits to ensure that your company’s staff are comprehensively covered for accidents at work or on the way to or from work as well as occupational sickness. You can also benefit from accident insurance as an employer. In addition to covering the financial impact of an accident for your company, we offer you efficient, individual coordination of benefits together with smart services that save you time and stress when accidents occur.

Statutory accident insurance covers the cost of medical treatment, care, aids, rescue, and transport in the event of an accident. Added to these benefits are continued salary payment in the form of daily benefits and further financial benefits in line with the insured salary.

Insured medical care and cost reimbursements

Accident victims are entitled to outpatient treatment by doctors and medical staff, prescription medication and examinations, inpatient treatment on a general ward, and aids to help them cope with physical impairments (e.g. prosthetics). In addition to treatment costs, any necessary travel, transport, and rescue costs as well as the cost of necessary treatment outside Switzerland are covered, as are care and aids in the home if prescribed by a doctor. For medical treatment outside Switzerland, the maximum that can be paid out is twice the cost of the same treatment in Switzerland. Any costs incurred for transporting the victim’s body and a funeral are also covered.

Basic insured benefits

A range of benefits may be paid out in the event of an accident. These are based on the insured salary as per the AIA, which is limited to a maximum of CHF 148,200 per person.

Daily benefits: The entitlement to daily benefits begins on the third day after the accident. Insured persons receive 80% of their salary if they are entirely unfit for work or a lower percentage if there are partially unfit.

Pensions: If an accident leads to a permanent or long-term disability, the person affected is entitled to receive a disability pension from their accident insurance. If they die, their partner and/or dependents receive financial support in the form of a survivor’s pension.

Compensation: If an accident causes a severe physical impairment (e.g. loss of a limb) or a severe psychological impairment, the victim is entitled to compensation. Accident insurance also pays compensation to victims who permanently need help with everyday tasks as a result of their impairment.

What additional benefits are available?

Statutory accident insurance offers your staff solid protection. Supplementary accident insurance allows you to enhance your coverage as you see fit. This makes sense, for example, if you employ people who earn more than the maximum salary insured under the AIA or if you wish to position your company as a more socially responsible employer than most.

With supplementary accident insurance from AXA, you can combine the benefits listed below into a package that suits your needs.

Supplementary accident insurance benefits

Hospital stays: AXA covers the additional cost of care in a semi-private or private room.

International coverage: With supplementary insurance, accident victims can receive confirmation of coverage for the cost of medical treatment outside Switzerland at any time of day or night.

Daily benefits: These can be covered from day one – including for shares of salary exceeding the maximum insured under the AIA.

Pensions: Shares of salary exceeding the maximum amount insurable by law can also be insured to ensure entitlement to a disability pension for these amounts. In addition, AXA pays out 40% of the insured salary as a survivor’s pension for partners.

Death and disability lump sums: Additional lump sums can be insured to offer you and/or your survivors additional financial security in the event of death or disability.

Exception coverage: The insurance coverage still applies in certain exceptional cases that aren’t covered by mandatory accident insurance, e.g. hazardous activities or gross negligence.

Combination discount: We can combine all the benefits of statutory and supplementary accident insurance, daily sickness benefits insurance, and more into a single package with a special discount.

Accident Card – for accidents abroad

A payment guarantee from the accident insurer is generally required for treatment abroad following an accident. This allows foreign treatment providers to ensure that the treatment costs incurred will be covered in each individual case.

Thanks to the Accident Card, your employees have all the necessary information quickly to hand in an emergency: They can reach AXA round the clock at the telephone numbers listed, and receive immediate coverage confirmation for basic coverage. Your staff are thus well protected at all times while abroad and will receive rapid assistance should the worst happen.

Would you like an Accident Card for your employees? Your AXA insurance advisor will be happy to take care of the ordering process for you. This service is provided free of charge to AXA customers with UVG/AIA coverage.

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