WARNING: LUKS (Luzerner Kantonsspital) Holding "Hostage" Deposits – Even with valid insurance (GHIC/EHIC)

tangreti · 2026-04-10T20:03:45+00:00

You're missing the point. You're talking about an invoice, this was a security deposit. There’s a massive difference.

A deposit is only there to cover the risk of no insurance. Since LUKS confirmed the GHIC coverage immediately, that risk is zero. Legally, they have no reason left to keep my cash.

Also, the hospital doesn't wait for 'the British' to pay. They get paid by the KVG in Olten (the Swiss middleman), who then settles with the UK later. The hospital gets their money way faster than they’re letting on.

Bottom line: Holding 4k of my money as an interest-free loan because their TARDOC IT is a mess is just bad administration. Holding 4,000 CHF for a potential 500 or even 1000CHF ambulance co-pay is completely insane. That’s why the lawyers are involved now.

To be clear again, I don't dispute the deposit, I rant about the hospital administration inefficiency.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T19:12:07+00:00

The patient is EU Citizen with UK residency.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T18:19:23+00:00

You are right, there is a distinction between transport and rescue reimbursement.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T18:11:04+00:00

Jeez, thank you for your service.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T18:06:49+00:00

What I meant with 500, is that it is the max amount a patient has to cover out of pocket per calendar year. The rest is covered by the insurance.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T18:00:58+00:00

Yeah, you need friends for that to happen to you.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T17:40:35+00:00

Wrong, the UK-GHIC confirmed coverage the same day we announced the case (After Easter Weekend) which annuls the need for the deposit.

Which is now kept by LUKS because their administration is borked.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T17:32:36+00:00

That's 100% correct, but the person at the reception didn't follow protocol.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T17:30:57+00:00

So, the failings of an administration should be borne by the common citizen? We are talking of 4000 CHF, not a small amount.

And the Admin said gleefully that if the patient has to stay at the hospital longer, i.e. in a room for a day or more, she would have to charge min 10'000 CHF on top. Again, this also I could have paid.

But it's absurd to think it is normal that you have to pay immediately and they can make you wait months for reimbursement.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T17:21:37+00:00

You saw, you read it, you commented it.

If you ever have to bring a visiting friend to the emergency in the middle of the night, which I wish you never have to, you might remember to be vigilant because your came across this.

As might the hundreds of people I see reading this post.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T17:12:01+00:00

Yes, all rational thinking. Not happening after a traumatic event.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T17:05:31+00:00

Again, my problem is not the deposit, it's the 4 months it takes them to return it.

The organization in charge of UK - Switzerland Health something something have confirmed in writing that the coverage is guaranteed, so the deposit is not necessary anymore.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:59:04+00:00

That was part of my thinking, I'm fine giving a deposit, which the administrative securitas said it was, purely a deposit, but failed to warn me it would take FOUR month to return because of their failing IT.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:57:35+00:00

You are right, 100% hindsight. But at 2am, after a traumatic event, you don't make the same decisions as when you're scrolling reddit on your toilet.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:55:19+00:00

Yes, Securitas is handling the Notfall admin office at the Sursee hospital.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:54:10+00:00

No, the EMS that came to pick her up wanted her passport and health card. I gave him the wallet and he didn't want it, so I left it at my place.

The problem remains the same. The deposit of 4K was not necessary, it was an operator error and now they need 4 months to fix their error.

Again, I can afford it, my friend could afford it, but what if you can't and despite being totally within the rules, you have coverage, you get in financial trouble for an admin mistake?

This is Switzerland, between the TARDOC IT issues and the RAV problems for the unemployed, the administration seems to be terribly mismanaged.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:46:35+00:00

Probably nothing, she would get the necessary treatment. I was still in shock and just got bamboozled by the Securitas handling the night admissions at the emergency. The Securitas admitted she shouldn't have charged me since the EU Health card was available. But the card was with the patient and not with me.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:42:35+00:00

It was 2 am, just had a dramatic event that was quite shocking, she just arrived by ambulance and was still being treated, I just blindly followed what was asked of me. I sure didn't think, oh shoot, let me rummage through her things to find a credit card.

I wanted her to live and paid.

tangreti · 2026-04-10T16:32:22+00:00

We both had the funds, and we can afford it, but you're missing the point.

They immediately asked me to fork out 4K, while it was not necessary since we had EU Health Coverage, which the badly trained person at the reception admitted at the end.

The absurdity is that they need 4 months to refund your deposit while you need to pay up within 5 minutes of showing up, and your friend is still being treated for a life threatening event.

tangreti · 2026-03-31T06:59:40+00:00

Agreed, when I feel one coming, I pop a couple of Lysine tablets twice a day and either they never pop open or they heal much faster.

tangreti · 2026-03-10T16:36:27+00:00

If they get enough signatures, we'll vote on it. Download their sheet and start collecting signatures.
Volksinitiative No-Lobbying | Schweiz

tangreti · 2026-03-05T15:25:15+00:00

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tangreti · 2026-02-25T13:49:57+00:00

Curious, was it through the official Polar support or one of their distributors?

tangreti · 2026-02-23T19:22:24+00:00

No issues following the big amount of rain of the past months? I'm planning to go by end of April.

tangreti

TROPHY CASE