With or without a doctor’s order
You don’t need a doctor’s order for a blood test. But it decides who pays — and not every location accepts self-payers.
Not every door is open
Of 131 surveyed sampling locations, 85 are verifiably open to self-payers, 3 require a doctor’s order — and for 43 it is not publicly apparent. “Unknown” means exactly that: we don’t know.
Source: Own survey, August 2026 — 131 sampling locations
Allowed without an order
You may have blood analysed without a doctor ordering it. What needs a licence is the laboratory analysing your blood — not your decision to have it analysed.
The order decides who pays
If a doctor orders the analysis, basic insurance covers it — provided the analysis is on the analysis list and its conditions are met, minus deductible and co-payment. Without an order you pay yourself.
Source: Swiss federal analysis list (BAG), edition 1 July 2026
Self-paying means outside tariff protection
Tariff protection under the health insurance act does not apply to self-payers. Providers may set prices freely — many still follow the official tariff, but not all.