You've been billing under Tarif 590 for years. Your invoices are compliant, your tariff codes correct, your DataMatrix in order. But do you know Tarif 595? Most complementary medicine therapists in Switzerland have never heard of it — yet it may directly concern part of your practice.
This article clarifies the differences between Tarif 590 and Tarif 595, their respective use cases, and situations where both can coexist in the same practice.
The Tarif 590 is the billing framework used by complementary medicine therapists for individual therapeutic services under the VVG/LCA (supplementary insurance). It covers curative treatments: naturopathy, osteopathy, acupuncture, reflexology, kinesiology, therapeutic massage, etc.
Tarif 595 is a separate billing framework, designed for prevention, health promotion and wellness services. It targets professionals who offer activities aimed at maintaining health rather than treating a pathology.
Concretely, Tarif 595 covers services such as:
| Criterion | Tarif 590 | Tarif 595 |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Therapeutic treatment (curative) | Prevention and health promotion |
| Service type | Individual only | Individual or group |
| Applicable law | LCA | LCA |
| Recognition | ASCA / RME / EMR | Per insurer and service type |
| Prescription | Not required (sometimes requested) | Generally not required |
| Tariff codes | 1xxx (~150 codes) | Specific prevention codes |
| Billing | 5-minute periods | Variable by service type |
| Target audience | Patient with a condition | Healthy person or prevention |
| Example | Acupuncture for back pain | Group stress management workshop |
| DataMatrix | Required | Per insurer requirements |
The distinction rests on the intent of the service:
Use Tarif 590 when:
Use Tarif 595 when:
The boundary is not always clear. A yoga class can be therapeutic for a patient with chronic back pain (590) or preventive for a group of healthy individuals (595). It is the context and the objective that determine the applicable tariff.
Yes, and it is even common for therapists with a mixed practice. Here are three concrete scenarios:
Scenario 1: Naturopath with group workshops
Marie is a naturopath in Lausanne. She sees patients individually for digestive issues, stress, skin problems. These sessions are billed under Tarif 590. In parallel, she runs a monthly "Balance and Nutrition" workshop open to all. These workshops fall under Tarif 595.
Scenario 2: Shiatsu practitioner in corporate settings
Thomas is a shiatsu practitioner in Geneva. His individual sessions follow Tarif 590. When a company hires him for workplace stress prevention, he bills under Tarif 595.
Scenario 3: Sophrologist with individual and group sessions
Claire is a sophrologist in Fribourg. Her individual sessions for anxiety or sleep disorders are billed under Tarif 590. Her group sophrology classes, focused on relaxation and general wellness, fall under Tarif 595.
Important: in each case, the distinction is clear: targeted treatment is billed under 590, prevention or group activity under 595. Do not mix both on the same invoice.
It depends entirely on their supplementary insurance contract. Some Swiss insurers include prevention and health promotion services in their coverage, others do not. Advise your patients to check with their insurer before committing to a programme.
Recognition requirements may vary by insurer and service type. Some prevention activities require specific certification. Check with the supplementary insurers your patients use for exact conditions.
No. A given service falls under either Tarif 590 or Tarif 595. You cannot bill the same session under both codes. However, nothing prevents offering an individual treatment (590) complemented by participation in a group workshop (595), on separate invoices.
Tarif 590 and Tarif 595 address two complementary logics: treating on one side, preventing on the other. If your practice is limited to individual therapeutic consultations, Tarif 590 remains your reference framework. But if you also offer workshops, group classes or corporate interventions focused on prevention, Tarif 595 can valorise that part of your practice.
In both cases, compliant billing is essential. Therago manages Tarif 590 billing and allows you to structure your services by the right tariff, so your patients get the best possible reimbursement. Compare tariffs 590, 581 and 312 for a complete view of the Swiss tariff landscape.
Billing with Tarif 590? Therago generates your compliant invoices in a few clicks.
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