medical insurance & paperwork
Medical Insurance
Advice and Coverage
Meet with benefits personnel at your home institution far in advance of your departure regarding how medical coverage will be handled, and find out what will be needed once you are at CERN if you are planning to transfer coverage to the CERN health insurance scheme (CHIS). Some people choose to keep coverage in their home country, taking care of routine visits on returns and using medical care here for emergencies. Things to consider –- is it a risk to cancel? Is there any concern about being reinstated when you return? What about pre-existing conditions? If you have any questions concerning health insurance, please check the CERN site on Health Insurance, or with Social Affairs.
In France, a typical office visit is $50, and doctors maintain “drop in” office hours as well as times for scheduled appointments. A dental visit for one person with two fillings costs 57 euro. If you don’t transfer your medical cover here be sure to visit the dentist, have your eyes checked, and have physical exams/shots.
In Switzerland, medical services are very expensive. Bring medical and dental records (your Dr. may charge a fee) and bring any crucial x-rays and prescriptions. You may want to bring a 3 month supply of medications – this will give you more time to search for a doctor you feel comfortable with.
See our Health page for further details.
Advice and Coverage
Meet with benefits personnel at your home institution far in advance of your departure regarding how medical coverage will be handled, and find out what will be needed once you are at CERN if you are planning to transfer coverage to the CERN health insurance scheme (CHIS). Some people choose to keep coverage in their home country, taking care of routine visits on returns and using medical care here for emergencies. Things to consider –- is it a risk to cancel? Is there any concern about being reinstated when you return? What about pre-existing conditions? If you have any questions concerning health insurance, please check the CERN site on Health Insurance, or with Social Affairs.
In France, a typical office visit is $50, and doctors maintain “drop in” office hours as well as times for scheduled appointments. A dental visit for one person with two fillings costs 57 euro. If you don’t transfer your medical cover here be sure to visit the dentist, have your eyes checked, and have physical exams/shots.
In Switzerland, medical services are very expensive. Bring medical and dental records (your Dr. may charge a fee) and bring any crucial x-rays and prescriptions. You may want to bring a 3 month supply of medications – this will give you more time to search for a doctor you feel comfortable with.
See our Health page for further details.
Paperwork
Here are most of the basics:
Driver's License - check our Transportation - Driver's License page for application information.
Permits
Some "How To's" at CERN
Phone usage at CERN
Room numbers
Building number + floor number or letter + room number, eg: 32-SB08 is Building 32, Basement, Room B08.
Addressing letters to CERN
Name
CERN
Building-Room
Esplanade des Particules 1
1211 Geneva 23
Switzerland / Suisse
Here are most of the basics:
Driver's License - check our Transportation - Driver's License page for application information.
Permits
- You will need to apply for permits to live in France and Switzerland. It's best to apply for both countries if you don't know where you will be living. Applications for you and your family are normally handled by the secretary in the employees department.
- Check our Permits page to see what documents you will need to bring, eg, about 10 to 12 passport size photos for each person for all the applications, and the Letter of Invitation. Once here you may need the Letter of Invitation to rent a house/apartment. After you have established residency you can get a phone, utilities and set up a bank account.
- In France, documentation is key to moving things along. Even if you follow the Visitor Information guides, expect to make more than one trip to get details ironed out and make progress.
Some "How To's" at CERN
- To get registered at CERN you will need a letter from your institution signed by your chair stating that you are employed, and that you have full health insurance coverage.
- Get your badge at the Registration Service in Building 55 - ground floor.
- The Users' Office has all sorts of useful information, like maps of local towns and bus schedules.
Phone usage at CERN
- CERN numbers: dial 7 plus the 4 digit extension
- Geneva: dial 0 + 022 + number, eg: 345 3333
- Switzerland: Dial 0 + cantonal code (eg, 022, 021, 034) + 7 digit phone number
- France: dial 10 + 04 + number. This only works for the local area: numbers starting with 04 - not for cell phones.
- USA: dial *4 + your pin code (talk to someone else to find out how to get this) - 1 (to enter USA) - then area code and number
- Calls outside France and Switzerland: Dial 00, the country code and phone number. To find country codes here is an international calling guide.
- France: 00 41 022 + seven digit number
- Switzerland: 022 + seven digit number
- USA: 011 + 41 22 + seven digit number
- Other Countries: here is an international calling guide.
Room numbers
Building number + floor number or letter + room number, eg: 32-SB08 is Building 32, Basement, Room B08.
Addressing letters to CERN
Name
CERN
Building-Room
Esplanade des Particules 1
1211 Geneva 23
Switzerland / Suisse
© Newcomer Welcome Center 2011-2019