Industry
Opening a practice or health-related business
Doctors, therapists, naturopaths: the market is strongly segmented by region. Health-insurer recognition often decides between success and failure.
Legal form
Sole proprietorship for a solo practice (standard case). Corporation or LLC for several partners, major medical equipment, or mergers (group practice).
Capital need
CHF 50,000 – 300,000. Practice renovation, medical equipment, initial stock of consumables.
Regulation
What you need to know
Practice licence
A cantonal licence is required for all regulated professions (Medical Professions Act, Psychology Act, Health Professions Act). Takes 4–12 weeks.
Health-insurer registration
A ZSR number (santésuisse) is needed to bill health insurers. For doctors, increasingly capped regionally.
Patient data / revised Data Protection Act
Patient data is especially sensitive – mandatory data-processing agreements with IT providers.
Practice equipment
Hygiene, sterilisation and maintenance of medical devices (X-ray, ultrasound) are subject to reporting duties.
Cost blocks
Where the money goes
Practice equipment
Treatment chair / examination table, diagnostics, practice IT system: CHF 30,000 – 200,000.
Practice software
e.g. Vitodata, MediWin, tomedo: CHF 200–800/month incl. support.
Professional liability insurance
Doctors CHF 3,000 – 15,000/year depending on specialty.
VAT & tax
Tax specifics
Medical treatments are generally VAT-exempt (Art. 21 para. 2 VAT Act). Aesthetic services without medical indication are taxable (8.1%).
Practical tips
What experienced founders do differently
- No insurer billing without a ZSR number – apply early, before opening the practice.
- Taking over an existing practice instead of starting from scratch greatly reduces the time to build a patient base – valuation by a fiduciary is recommended.
- A network with fellow professionals for referrals is the most important marketing channel.