Who pays for a rescue mission?
Who pays the costs is determined after a rescue mission. As a rule, the persons who were rescued, or their insurer, pays. If an insurer is not required to pay for the mission, Rega can – in accordance with its patronage conditions, and as a "thank-you" – waive the costs of assistance it provides itself or organises for its patrons.
What are the advantages for me as a Rega patron?
Without patrons there would be no Rega. It is only with their support that Rega can provide initial medical assistance by air throughout Switzerland and reach patients in an emergency in a matter of minutes. With their contributions, patrons thus ensure that they can be helped quickly in an emergency. That is the primary benefit of a patronage.
As a thank-you for this support, Rega can waive the costs of a mission for its patrons – in accordance with the conditions of patronage – if the insurer is not required to pay. And it does so: last year, Rega waived over 14 million Swiss francs in costs of missions for its patrons that insurance companies did not cover.
In the event of medical problems abroad, patrons are advised by Rega's medical consultants. If the Rega medical consultant deems repatriation to be medically necessary, the flight coordinator organises the repatriation – either in one of our ambulance jets or on a scheduled flight. Here too, Rega waives any costs for its patrons that the insurer is not required to pay.
Why do the conditions of patronage stipulate that Rega can waive the costs? Is it not required to do so in respect of its patrons?
Last year, Rega waived over 14 million Swiss francs in costs of missions for its patrons that insurance companies did not cover. However, Rega is not an insurance company but a privately run, non-profit foundation. Legally speaking, the patronage contribution is a donation, and Rega waives the cost without any legal obligation. That is why the conditions of patronage use the “can” formulation. Unlike an insurance company, Rega does not list exclusions, such as pre-existing illnesses.
If the employer’s insurance bears all the transport costs in the event of an accident, does a Rega patronage still make sense for employees with accident insurance?
People usually associate Rega with accidents, but almost half of all helicopter missions involve Rega crews helping a patient with an acute illness, such as a cardiovascular problem or a stroke. Different insurance benefits apply to illnesses than to an accident.
For people with health insurance, the health insurer pays 50% of the costs of a recognised rescue, up to a maximum of CHF 5,000 per year.
If a gainfully employed person has an accident and if the accident is recognised, the accident insurance covers 100% of the rescue costs in the vast majority of cases.
In several hundred missions per year, however, we also rescue people in distress who are neither injured nor ill – e.g. because they have got into difficulties in the mountains or because a search and rescue mission was initiated on their behalf. These costs are often not covered by an insurer.
Generally speaking, everyone in Switzerland benefits from a patronage because it is thanks to these funds that Rega even exists and that medical assistance by air is available in an emergency. An emergency flight physician, a pilot and a paramedic as well as a rescue helicopter are on standby around the clock at each of the 14 helicopter bases throughout Switzerland. Rega can only finance this reserve capacity thanks to its patrons. The same applies to the assistance provided by Rega abroad.
What costs will I face after a rescue mission if I am not a Rega patron?
The mission costs depend on a number of factors, such as the duration of the mission and the resources and manpower required. As a rule, the more complex a mission and the longer it takes, the higher the costs. A Rega helicopter mission costs around 4,500 Swiss francs on average, without additional specialists such as mountain rescuers from Alpine Rettung Schweiz. Complex missions, such as search or avalanche missions involving many people can easily run into several tens of thousands of francs.
Repatriation with a Rega jet depends on the flying time. A repatriation from Thailand, for example, costs over 100,000 francs, one from Spain around 30,000 francs.
Does the Rega patronage also apply if I am transported by another air rescue service?
The Rega patronage also applies to missions conducted by other air rescue organisations with similar patronage systems and with whom a reciprocal agreement is in place, such as Air Zermatt and Air-Glaciers. Otherwise, the cost waiver depends on Rega organising or coordinating the mission, i.e. that it directly engaged the rescue helicopter of another organisation for the mission.