The Swiss Federal Court has ruled that Bâloise Insurance must recognize Long Covid as an occupational disease in the case of a Geneva healthcare worker, reinstating his entitlement to a pension. The decision, delivered on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, dismisses an appeal from the insurance company and marks a significant precedent for similar cases in Switzerland.
The healthcare worker contracted Covid-19 in April 2020 while caring for infected patients, including those who later died from the disease. At the time, adequate protective equipment and masks were lacking, exposing him to a high risk of infection. The subsequent Long Covid condition prevented him from returning to his professional duties, according to the court’s published judgment.
Bâloise initially recognized the Long Covid condition as an occupational disease in July 2023, granting the worker a pension and a disability compensation of 35 percent. However, the insurer subsequently denied a connection between the worker’s psychological issues and the Covid-19 infection. Both the worker and his health insurer, Helsana, filed appeals. The worker later withdrew his appeal, but Bâloise reversed its decision in May 2024, withdrawing benefits altogether.
The Geneva court initially sided with the healthcare worker, rejecting Bâloise’s arguments. The Federal Court upheld that decision, stating that the legal conditions for a novel review by the insurance company were not met. The court also referenced its existing jurisprudence on Long Covid and its relation to occupational disease claims.
This ruling follows a December 2024 Federal Court decision confirming Long Covid as an occupational disease for another healthcare worker. However, the court has ruled differently in cases involving a psychologist and a gynecological practice employee, suggesting that each case is evaluated on its own merits. Bâloise had argued that it was not proven the worker contracted the virus in a professional setting and that he had not been hospitalized, but the court deemed these factors irrelevant given the fulfillment of criteria for an occupational disease.
The decision underscores the heightened risk faced by healthcare workers during the pandemic and reinforces the legal recognition of Long Covid as a work-related illness. The implications of this ruling for other potential claims remain to be seen.
