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HEALTH

Outrage in Switzerland after company bosses ‘buy back luxury cars with coronavirus loans’

Swiss authorities are investigating a scheme whereby entrepreneurs allegedly used money obtained from the country’s coronavirus rescue package to buy back their luxury cars.

Outrage in Switzerland after company bosses 'buy back luxury cars with coronavirus loans'
A Ferrari pictured in Monaco. Photo: VALERY HACHE / AFP
As reported in the Tages Anzeiger, a number of Swiss entrepreneurs accessed the funds – but used the money to ‘buy back’ their luxury cars, which they had used to secure loans from upmarket Swiss automobile pawn shops. 

Cedric Domeniconi, who founded automobile ‘pawn shop’ Auto Pfandhaus, told Swiss newspaper 20 Minutes that since the lockdown started, several entrepreneurs were suddenly flush with enough cash to buy back their fancy cars. 

The car brands included Ferraris, Porsches, Rolls Royces, Aston Martins and Mercedes. 

The Swiss government made more than CHF60 billion available as part of the coronavirus rescue package, with CHF40 billion put on the table in low-interest business loans. 

“Since the emergency aid for the Covid 19 pandemic started, we have conspicuously picked up many luxury cars from entrepreneurs.”

“We know that many customers use the emergency loans to buy back the pledge that they originally covered with their car.”

The car pawnshop provides loans up to a maximum of CHF100,000. 

Although coronavirus loan regulations state that loans cannot be used to service other loans, the Tages Anzeiger writes that crafty financial moves have enabled this to take place. 

This is because ‘car mortgages’ – i.e. loans where a car is used as collateral – do not appear on Swiss debt registers. This means that transactions can be made without the corresponding data being traceable the paper reported. 

Fraud in Vaud

It comes after news from the western canton of Vaud, where the Public Prosecutors Office was looking into an alleged multi-million franc fraud of coronavirus support money. 

The fraud was discovered by banks in the canton, who informed the federal police that money received as part of the coronavirus stimulus payments had been transferred abroad. 

The alleged perpetrators are Swiss nationals from Turkey, who are suspected of having transferred several million dollars received under the coronavirus loan scheme abroad. 

 

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HEALTH

How difficult is it to change your doctor in Switzerland?

If you already have a GP doctor in Switzerland but, for some reason, need or want to switch, how easy is it to do so?

How difficult is it to change your doctor in Switzerland?

There are a number of reasons why you may want to leave your GP and find a new one.

Maybe you don’t like their bedside manner, are not happy with the medical care, or are simply moving away and need to find someone closer to your new home.

Whatever the reason, whether or not you can easily switch from one doctor to another depends on the kind of health insurance you have.

Different models, different rights

If you have the ‘standard’ — and typically the most expensive — type of the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal), then you are free to switch your GPs at will, and you don’t have to inform the insurance carrier of the switch.

However, if you have opted for one of the cheaper insurance models, then your right to switch doctors may be limited:

Family doctor model’

It is the most popular in Switzerland (and 20 percent cheaper than standard insurance policy premiums).

Under this model, you have a family doctor who will manage your care — that is, treat you or send you to specialists if needed (with the exception of gynecologists and eye doctors, who don’t require a referral).

You can’t, however, change doctors at will, unless your insurance company approves the switch.

Telemedicine model

If you have opted for the Telemed formula, you must call a health hotline set up by your insurance company.

They will give you a referral to a doctor or hospital based on your symptoms.
 
Heath Maintainance Organisation (HMO)

Under this model, policyholders are required to consult a particular HMO practice. Two disadvantages of this alternative is a limited choice of doctors and you also need a referral to see a specialist.

So the only option that gives you the right to switch doctors with no hassle is the standard one, with the family doctor model also possibly allowing you to do so, under certain circumstances.

The way Telmed and HMO are set up, however, switching doctors is not possible. If that option is important to you, then you will have to switch to the (more expensive) standard insurance.

The only exception to the above restrictions are emergencies, when you need urgent medical treatment.

Assuming you have the standard model, how do you go about changing?

The process is pretty simple: you can find physicians in your area either through recommendations from people you know (which is the best way to ensure you will not be getting an ‘anonymous’ doctor) or, if no recommendations are available, then through the OneDoc platform, which lists which doctors are taking new patients and where.

You can then make an appointment directly online.

When you do so, ask your current physician’s office to transfer your file to the new doc.

You don’t need to explain the reasons for the switch.
 
READ ALSO: The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters 
 

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