Health aid (social assistance)

Persons without health insurance who only receive short-term subsistence assistance may be entitled to health assistance.

If you do not have health insurance and receive uninterrupted assistance for a short period of time (probably less than a month), the social welfare office will immediately ensure the necessary medical care by issuing a treatment certificate.

These include:

• Preventive health assistance for disease prevention and early detection
• Help with illness
• Help with family planning
• Help with pregnancy and maternity
• Help with sterilization

Please contact the responsible social welfare office.

• Informal application for the issuance of an electronic health card/treatment certificate
• Current decision on subsistence benefits
• Identity card or passport
• Recipes and/or if necessary. proof of payment,
• Required consultation confirmations, cost estimates, rejection notices

The competent social assistance institution shall provide information on the documents required in each individual case.

All you need to do is submit an informal application to the social welfare office responsible for you.

• Exclusion of priority benefits (e.g. health insurance, accident insurance, care for victims of war, Asylum Seekers Benefits Act)
• Treatment certificate (assistance must be provided in the form of goods and services)
• In the case of justified self-help (e.g. emergency), the reimbursement of already incurred costs is possible

You contact the social welfare office responsible for you with a request for an electronic health card or a treatment certificate.

The social welfare office examines the application. If all requirements are met, you will receive an electronic health card or a treatment certificate.  

There are no deadlines to be observed. However, the competent social assistance institution may only issue a treatment certificate from which it has become aware of the need. Therefore, it is important to submit an application as soon as possible.

A decision on the application will be taken as soon as possible, in particular if there is a clear sense of urgency.

There are no fees.