Alternative medicine

What is alternative medicine?

"Alternative medicine" refers to the therapies and forms of alternative and natural medicine. Unlike traditional medicine, alternative medicine does not use drugs or chemical substances to treat patients. This is why this type of practice is also referred to as natural medicine.

Alternative medicine includes traditional and ancestral healing practices but also more modern and widespread treatments. Therapists and doctors practising alternative medicine treat the body, the mind or both simultaneously, using different approaches to conventional medicine.

The most common forms of alternative medicine

Among the many different forms of alternative medicine, some are very well known and well established. To such an extent that it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between conventional and alternative treatments.

The most common forms of alternative medicine include:

• homeopathy
• osteopathy
• acupuncture
• naturopathy

Did you know that you resort to alternative medicine when you take arnica or go to your osteopath to relieve your back pain?

Some complementary medicine therapies are also carried out in hospitals, often by doctors. Osteopathy and homeopathy are among them and other disciplines are gradually becoming part of conventional medicine.

How does basic insurance refund alternative medicine therapies?

Basic health insurance only covers five forms of alternative medicine:

• acupuncture
• homeopathy
• anthroposophic medicine
• herbal medicine
• Chinese medicine

These treatments may be reimbursed by your basic health insurance, provided that they are dispensed by a doctor whose training in the field is recognised by the Swiss Medical Federation (FMH) Therefore, compulsory insurance will not cover invoices for alternative medicine practised by therapists, regardless of the discipline.

Supplemental insurance fills gaps in basic health insurance

If you wish to be covered for alternative medicine practices other than those reimbursed by the basic health insurance and be free to be treated by a therapist, you will need to take out supplemental insurance.

Groupe Mutuel offers several supplemental insurance plans, either alone or combined, to cover alternative medicine in a comprehensive way.

These insurance plans usually allow you to decide how much you want to pay for the treatments, the purpose of which must always be medical. If you resort to natural medicine for prevention or well-being, the therapies will remain payable by you.

Depending on your supplemental insurance, you may be able to benefit from up to 80 therapies in different disciplines, such as:

• natural medicine
• alternative medicine
• holistic medicine
• Chinese medicine
• other disciplines

Alternative medicine is beneficial to your health and helps you to cure a number of illnesses. Supplemental insurance makes it easier for you to access alternative medicine and enjoy its many benefits. So that you can receive the care you need… when you need it.

Our tips for refunds

Enquire before the treatment

You can download the documents below to make sure that your alternative medicine therapy will be covered by your supplemental health insurance. This will allow you to check in advance:

• whether the therapy you are about to undertake is recognised by Groupe Mutuel
• If the person who is going to administer the treatment meets the criteria for approval by Groupe Mutuel.

Are you not sure which alternative medicine benefits are covered by your supplemental health insurance?

Fill in the request form and we will check your coverage.