Ostinelli does not pay his health insurance and goes before the magistrate

Context

TL;DR

• Roberto Ostinelli has not paid his health insurance since June 2024
• The doctor from Mendrisio must appear before the magistrate on October 6
• International insurance costs 140 euros a month
• The political proposal concerns a three-year period for people from Ticino

Key facts

• Person → Roberto Ostinelli, doctor and member of parliament from Mendrisio
• Last payment → June 2024
• Hearing → Tuesday, October 6, before the magistrate
• Alternative coverage → international insurance
• Stated premium → 140 euros a month
• Proposal → foreign insurance for people from Ticino for three years

June 2024 was the last month in which Roberto Ostinelli, a doctor from Mendrisio, paid his health insurance. Since then, the bills have piled up, and on Tuesday, October 6, he will have to appear before the magistrate. The case concerns a cassa malati Swiss insurance policy and a choice that the person directly involved presents as voluntary and deliberate.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ostinelli attracted attention with his unconventional views. He says that, like many people from Ticino and due to family problems, he experienced a difficult financial period: he knows what it means to make it to the end of the month and ask for an extension to pay a bill.

To reduce expenses, he looked for another solution and found international insurance. He says he also has a foothold abroad, which would have allowed him to take it out. He was told that the coverage is valid throughout Europe, including Switzerland, and on other continents as well. The stated cost is 140 euros per month, one third of the cost of Swiss coverage. So far, he has paid for it without using it, because he has always been healthy and has a high deductible.

The Swiss health insurance bills, however, continued to arrive. Initially, the doctor tried to reach an agreement with the health insurer, without success; his cancellation was not accepted. He therefore decided not to pay. He does not know what the outcome in court will be and speculates that he may be notified of a bankruptcy petition.

«Mine is a voluntary choice. A deliberate one. I want to send a message to the system».

Ostinelli says that he does not consider himself a rebel and that his choice is not born of a whim: he invokes his own ethics and morality. His stated position is clear: whatever amount he is presented with, he will not pay it.

The political proposal

The doctor, who is also a member of parliament, would like the canton to consider allowing people from Ticino, for a three-year period, to take out foreign insurance. He acknowledges that most people cannot have a foothold outside Switzerland and that his concept conflicts with federal law. For this reason, he speaks of mediation with the insurance companies and announces that a sustainable health insurance model will come later. His proposal, he explained, should give those in difficulty some breathing room, without turning the choice into a mere provocation.

Operational details

The premium is not enough

For those living in Switzerland, the case opens up a discussion that goes beyond converting euros into francs. LAMal/KVG is mandatory health insurance for residents: international coverage must therefore be assessed together with the insurance obligation, not only the stated monthly premium. In Ostinelli's case, a policy described as also being valid in Switzerland did not result in the Swiss insurer accepting the cancellation.

The practical picture can be viewed on three levels:

| Level | Element that emerged | What it indicates | | Cost | 140 euro per month, one third of Swiss coverage | It is the savings declared by Ostinelli, not a general measure of the protection | | Coverage | Europe, including Switzerland, and other continents | The geographic scope refers to his insurance | | Rules | Cancellation not accepted and conflict with federal law | The process does not end with the signing of a new contract |

Differences between cantons matter because premiums are organized by canton or region and premium reductions are cantonal. For this reason, pressure on costo della vita in Svizzera is not addressed in the same way everywhere. A proposal aimed at people from Ticino, moreover, cannot be presented as a model already valid for everyone: the source itself points out that most people do not have a foothold outside Switzerland.

The risk for the classic model

The most delicate point concerns those who would remain in the classic model. The article raises the objection that, if some people could temporarily opt out, the others might find themselves with even higher premiums. This is not a result already observed in the source: it is the risk raised in the comparison with Ostinelli. His response is to limit the exception to three years and then start over.

The proposal also faces an access limitation. Ostinelli admits that most people cannot have a foothold abroad; mediation with insurers would therefore be necessary. The hypothetical benefit for those struggling to make ends meet is accompanied by a question of balance: who can really use the alternative and who remains in the ordinary model? For the Swiss reader, the point is this: the individual savings claimed must be compared with the viability of the classic model, without turning a personal case into a reform that is already available.

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Key points

How to conduct a review

Anyone considering the case as a prompt to review their own coverage should separate verifying the obligation from evaluating the price. The practical process can remain simple and documented.

1. Define the insurance status. For residents, LAMal/KVG is mandatory and must be taken out within three months of arrival. International coverage should not automatically be treated as a substitute: first, it is necessary to understand whether one's situation falls under the obligation.

2. Compare the contract and coverage. Note the premium, deductible, geographical validity and actual use of the policy. In the case described, there is a monthly amount of 140 euros, stated validity in Europe, including Switzerland, and a high deductible: these are facts of the case, not an offer for other insured persons.

3. Ask the insurer for a written response regarding the cancellation. Ostinelli's invoices continued to arrive and his cancellation was not accepted. For this reason, it is not advisable to consider the relationship closed merely because a new policy was sought or signed. Keeping invoices, correspondence and confirmations makes it possible to reconstruct the transition.

4. Prepare the documentation if a summons arrives. The man said that he would appear before the magistrate and that he did not rule out filing for bankruptcy. Anyone receiving similar communications should immediately check the dates, amounts and documents indicated, without treating the case as having a predetermined outcome: the source does not yet report the result of the proceedings.

The budget comparison

Before choosing, the premium should be included in the monthly budget together with the deductible and the actual use of the coverage; Ostinelli says that he was healthy and had a high deductible, but these conditions cannot be generalized. The aim is not to replicate his decision, but to understand whether the coverage is recognized and what costs remain in the event of a disagreement.

To estimate the impact of the expense on the monthly budget, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: tio.ch