FAQ - La Mutuelle

Loans | Accounts | Insurances | Mobility | Various

Loans

Do I have to be a member to submit a loan application?
No, you don't need to be a member to submit a loan application. However, the documents required for admission must be attached to the loan application. If the loan is granted, you must become a member and the admission fee will be deducted from the amount granted.
I'm transferring to another organization in the United Nations family. What happens to my loan?
For members who are separated or transferred from their organization and who will work for another organization within the United Nations system, not affiliated to La Mutuelle, the final emoluments, if any, are deducted to repay their debt to La Mutuelle. Should a balance nevertheless remain, members may submit a request to the Credit Committee to be allowed to continue to repay their loan(s) by means of monthly salary deductions or, if this is not possible, through a direct monthly payment to be received no later than the last working day of the month instalments. In the event of refusal or if an agreement is given but the debt remains unpaid, the balance due is immediately payable. In this case, in application of article 8.7 of the Internal Regulations, La Mutuelle will inform the Human Resources department of the employing organization.

Members who are separated or transferred from their organization and who will work for another organization within the United Nations system, affiliated to La Mutuelle, may continue to repay their loan(s) normally through monthly salary deductions.
Can I repay my loan early?
A loan may be repaid partially or totally in advance, free of charge, provided that a minimum of 6 monthly salary deductions has been made, starting from the 7th month. Members shall then send their request by email to La Mutuelle.

A partial or total early loan repayment process, which starts with the submission of the request for an early loan repayment and ends with the receipt of the funds once the agreement has been given by La Mutuelle, can only take place between the 1st and 15th of each month. Members should therefore submit, in writing and by email, their request for early reimbursement to La Mutuelle at the beginning of a month.

A partial loan repayment is allowed only once during the term of the loan.

In the event of early loan repayment, La Mutuelle will request from the member documents to justify the origin of funds, their traceability and tax compliance. If the origin of the funds, their traceability and tax compliance cannot be clearly established through the documents received, La Mutuelle will request additional documents or refuse the early repayment.

After receiving La Mutuelle’s agreement for the early loan repayment, members must ensure that the instructions given by La Mutuelle are scrupulously followed failing which the early repayment will be refused.

Funds received without prior authorization from La Mutuelle and/or outside the period from the 1st to the 15th of each month will be refused and returned to the sender, at his/her expense.

Early repayment of a loan may only be made by a bank transfer or a direct debit from any CHF account(s) the member may have with La Mutuelle.

If the early repayment is done by bank transfer the funds may only come from the following sources, failing which they will be refused:
a. An account with La Mutuelle in the member's name or, if the member has given a power of attorney in favour of another member of La Mutuelle, from the latter's Mutuelle account;
b. An external bank account in the member's name;
c. An external bank account in the name of persons holding a power of attorney previously registered with La Mutuelle;
d. An affiliated organization;
e. The Pension Fund of an affiliated organization.

For members who have repaid a loan early and submit a new loan application within 6 months of the repayment date, the approval of the Credit Committee is required. The latter is entitled to request information and/or documents to rule on the request.
I have a temporary contract. Can I get a loan?
Civil servants wishing to borrow must hold a permanent, indefinite or fixed-term contract. Civil servants holding a temporary contract are not eligible.
I'm going to retire early. Can I keep my loan and continue to repay it with my pension?
No. If you leave the organization, the loan must be repaid in full. You won't be able to keep it when you retire.
What happens to my loan if I become disabled or die?
An insurance taken out by La Mutuelle covers the balance due on loans in the event of the borrower's death or total disability, as recognized by the employing organization, provided the insurer agrees to cover the loan. If the insurer refuses to cover the loan in the event of death or disability, La Mutuelle may, in exceptional cases only and at its sole discretion, grant an ordinary loan but for a small amount and over a short term. If approved, in case of a claim the total outstanding debt must be repaid through the final emoluments.

A civil servant applying for a loan must complete a medical questionnaire fully and truthfully. Any omission, inaccuracy or misrepresentation made during the last 4 full years and the current year, from the date of submission of the loan application to the date of loan payment the date of payment of the loan by La Mutuelle, will result in cancellation of the insurance contract without payment of benefits. In addition, the member will no longer be eligible for services and will be excluded from La Mutuelle upon maturity of his/her current loan(s). In application of article 8.7 of the Internal Regulations, La Mutuelle will inform the Human Resources department of the organization employing the member. In the event of a claim, the total outstanding debt must be repaid directly by the member in the event of disability, or by the member's estate in the event of death. La Mutuelle reserves the right to take legal action against the member or his/her heirs to recover the sums due.

As soon as a borrowing member is informed that he/she will be separated for health reasons, he/she, or his/her representative, must immediately inform La Mutuelle, which will provide the procedure to be followed so that the insurance can take over the balance due on his/her loan(s). In the event of death, the heirs must contact La Mutuelle. If La Mutuelle is not contacted within six months of the date of the claim, the member's debt cannot be reimbursed by the insurance company and will be payable by the member or their heirs.

La Mutuelle is not involved in the medical process nor in the decisions taken by the insurers.

Accounts

What is the interest rate on the CHF deposit account for the current year?
The interest rate on the CHF deposit account depends on the results of the financial year, and must be approved by the Annual General Meeting held within 6 months of the closing of the accounts. It is therefore not known until the next Annual General Meeting.
Are my assets with La Mutuelle guaranteed?
As La Mutuelle is a United Nations fund, its assets are not guaranteed.
I would like to make a bank transfer to one of my foreign accounts. When will I receive the funds?
An international transfer can take up to 7 working days to reach the beneficiary's account.

Insurances

I am a civil servant at UNOG and would like to join the complementary health insurance scheme. What is the procedure?
To apply for complementary health insurance, you must:

1. Complete a La Mutuelle Application form (if you are already a member, go to point 2)

- If you wish to insure family members (covered by basic insurance), please complete point 5 of the form.
- Attach a Payroll Deduction Authorization (only for UNOG, UNHCR, UNDP and UNON, UNITAR, ITU, UNOPS, WIPO staff members) For other organizations such as the WMO, UNICEF, ILO, WHO, and UNAIDS, premiums must be paid by bank transfer. Please request our bank details.

2. Complete a UNIQA Application Form (one form per person to be insured).
- Attach a copy of a valid identity document (ID card or passport) for each person to be insured.
- Enclose your legitimation card.
- Enclose a copy of a bank statement (showing IBAN and BIC/SWIFT codes, as well as the name of the account holder).
- Enclose your Personnel Action.

3. Send the original forms to La Mutuelle by post or internal mail.
How do I submit a claim to the complementary health insurance?
Click on the following link to see the procedure: how to submit a claim for reimbursement
I am the daughter of a UN staff member. Can I benefit from complementary health insurance?
As long as you are affiliated to the United Nations Staff Mutual Insurance as a dependent of your parent, you are eligible for complementary health insurance.

Children can be insured as long as at least one parent is affiliated.

We would like to draw your attention to maternity benefits. As a dependent, maternity costs are not covered by the United Nations Staff Mutual Insurance Scheme beyond the age of 21, and consequently not by the complementary health insurance scheme.
I'm pregnant and would like to take out complementary health insurance for my child. When should I complete the application form?
You can do this right now, and we recommend that you apply for prenatal insurance for your child as soon as possible, keeping in mind that one of the parents must be insured with UNIQA.
I'm about to retire. Do I have to cancel my loss of earnings insurance and when?
Yes, you must cancel your loss of earnings insurance, which covers active civil servants when they have exhausted their entitlement to sick leave on full pay.

Cancellation must be made in writing by the end of the month, giving one month's notice.

However, we recommend that you do not terminate your policy too early. It would be unfortunate to lose your entitlement to benefits just a few months before you retire. We recommend that you check your entitlement to full sick leave or consult us.
If I have a skiing accident, what benefits does the insurance provide for non-professional accidents?
In the event of a ski accident, air transport of the injured person (plane, helicopter) is covered without reimbursement limit if medically necessary; if search operations to find or save the injured person prove necessary, they are covered up to a maximum of CHF 20,000 per insured person.
I have taken out assistance cover with my complementary health insurance (PREMIUM version). How can I get help if I have a health problem while traveling abroad?
Contact the 24/7 assistance center, whose telephone number is shown on your UNIQA - La Mutuelle insurance card or on the information leaflet you received when you took out your policy.

If you are unable to call yourself, your family, friends or colleagues can also call on your behalf.

You can benefit from medical advice, medical transport to a local hospital, medical evacuation or repatriation, or the dispatch of unavailable medicines or a doctor.

What's more, if outpatient treatment or hospitalization becomes necessary, UNIQA Assistance will act as your guarantor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anywhere in the world, and pay 100% of the medical costs directly to the care provider or hospital.

This means you don't have to pay the medical costs yourself, or submit the bill to your basic and supplementary insurance. UNIQA Assistance takes care of everything.
I'm a UN official on a temporary contract. Can I join the complementary health insurance scheme?
If the duration of your temporary contract is less than three months, you cannot join the complementary health insurance scheme.

If the duration of your temporary contract is three months or more, you can join the complementary health insurance, provided you are insured under the main plan (and no longer under the temporary plan) of the United Nations Staff Mutual Insurance Society (UNSMIS).

If your insurance coverage under the main plan of the United Nations Staff Mutual Insurance Society (UNSMIS) ceases, due to the expiry of your contract, you are no longer entitled to benefits under the supplementary insurance. It is your responsibility to inform La Mutuelle of the termination of your basic coverage.
I'm pregnant and would like to take out complementary health insurance. Is this possible?
You can join the complementary health insurance plan. However, since you are pregnant at the time of your application, your maternity expenses will not be covered by the insurer unless you take out complementary health insurance at the same time as basic insurance.

Otherwise, any pregnancy beginning within 12 months of the date of enrolment is not covered (waiting period).
I'm about to retire. What's happening with my complementary health insurance?
Almost nothing! You will of course retain your insurance cover under the same conditions.

Only the method of payment of your premiums and contributions to La Mutuelle may change, particularly if there was a deduction from your salary.

We recommend that you contact the La Mutuelle secretariat to make any necessary billing changes, and to verify certain information in our possession (address, bank account, etc.).
I'm a retired civil servant aged 63. Can I still join the complementary health insurance scheme?
Unfortunately, this is no longer possible.

A retired international civil servant is no longer eligible to enroll in insurance. They have to be employed to apply for insurance coverage and must do so no later than the month in which they turn 65.

Mobility

Is it possible to reclaim VAT?
No, it is not possible to reclaim VAT. If members wish to reclaim VAT, they must purchase the subscription directly from our partners at the normal rate.
I'd like my subscription refunded. How do I proceed?
You must send a request for reimbursement by e-mail to un.org,lamutuelle, specifying the reason for the reimbursement request and the date on which you wish to cancel your subscription.
Can my spouse and children benefit from reduced fares?
For Unireso, only the spouses of retired members who have not reached AVS retirement age (64 / 65) can benefit from reduced fares. For SBB, spouses and children under the age of 25 are eligible for reduced fares.

Various

Secure access (Available only to members who use the lending, deposit, and mobility services)

When I try to log in, the computer asks me for the code [{0}]. What should I do?
You need to clean your computer and remove cookies and temporary files.
I can't connect to the Mutuelle website. What's the problem?
First of all, check that you are trying to log in with the 3 identifiers sent to you by Mutuelle. If this is the case, you may have changed your password. You can request a new password in the bottom right-hand corner of the “Login” page.

If you still can't log in, you can contact Mutuelle, who will check your access.
I'm trying to request a new password, but the computer won't accept the user code I've entered. What's wrong?
You must ensure that the user code you have entered begins with an M and is followed by 7 digits.

Death

What happens to my account in the event of my death?
The accounts of deceased members must be closed, and resignation must be made within 6 months of the date of death.

The CHF deposit account of a deceased member is closed on the date of death, and the assets transferred to a CHF current account pending the liquidation of the estate.

Retirement

Can I keep my account when I retire?
Yes, you can keep your account, but your file must be updated when you retire if you wish to continue to benefit from La Mutuelle's services.
Can I continue to deposit funds?
Yes, the same rules apply as for active members.