We recently informed you that the Organization was still in discussions with the Host State authorities to clarify the situation regarding the health insurance of frontalier workers who are family members (as defined in the Staff Rules and Regulations) of a CHIS main member, and that we were hoping to arrive at a solution soon.
After extensive exchanges, we finally obtained a response a few days ago from the Swiss authorities, with which we are fully satisfied and which we can summarise as follows:
1) Frontalier workers who are currently using the CHIS as their basic health insurance can continue to do so.
2) Family members who become frontalier workers, or those who have not yet exercised their “right to choose” (droit d’option) can opt to use the CHIS as their basic health insurance. To this end, they must complete the form regarding the health insurance offrontaliers, ticking the LAMal box and submitting their certificate of CHIS membership (available from UNIQA).
3) For family members who joined the LAMal system since June 2014, CERN is in contact with the Swiss authorities and the Geneva Health Insurance Service with a view to securing an exceptional arrangement allowing them to leave the LAMal system and use the CHIS as their basic health insurance.
4) People who exercised their “right to choose” and opted into the French Sécurité sociale or the Swiss LAMal system before June 2014 can no longer change, as the decision is irreversible. As family members, however, they remain beneficiaries of the CHIS, which then serves as their complementary insurance.
5) If a frontalier family member uses the CHIS as his or her basic health insurance and the main member concerned ceases to be a member of the CHIS or the relationship between the two ends (divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership), the frontalier must join LAMal.
We hope that this information satisfies your expectations and concerns. We would like to thank the Host State authorities for their help in clarifying these highly complex issues.
We remind you that staff members, fellows and beneficiaries of the CERN Pension Fund must declare the professional situation and health insurance cover of their spouse or partner, as well as any changes in this regard, pursuant to Article III 6.01 of the CHIS Rules. In addition, in cases where a spouse or partner wishes to use the CHIS as his or her basic insurance and receives income from a professional activity or a retirement pension, the main member must pay a supplementary contribution based on the income of the spouse or partner, in accordance with Article III 5.07 of the CHIS Rules. For more information, see www.cern.ch/chis/DCSF.asp.
The CHIS team is on hand to answer any questions you may have on this subject, which you can submit to Chis.Info@cern.ch. The above information, as well as the Note Verbale from the Permanent Mission of Switzerland, is available in the frontaliers section of the CHIS website: www.cern.ch/chis/frontaliers.asp