Tarif 590 guide: what you need to know about the structure of an invoice

Therapists in Switzerland have to use Tarif 590 invoicing. Those invoices have to follow a structure that the insurers have set out. In this article you’ll find the meaning of all the fields and positions that make up the structure of Tarif 590, along with some examples!

Guide to the structure of a Tarif 590 invoice

The Tarif 590 invoice is structured very precisely in several parts, as you can see from the example invoice below.

Guide to the detailed structure of a Tarif 590 invoice

Now that we’ve seen the basics, let’s look at the details of the Tarif 590 invoice. Please note that if you have a OneDoc Pro subscription, our Tarif 590 billing module will automatically fill in the invoice directly from the patient record on your profile.

1. Invoicing party / service provider

• Identification number: represents the unique invoice number, assigned automatically so that each document has a unique number
• GLN number: Your Global Location Number (GLN) is used to clearly identify addresses (e.g. for companies). However, if you don’t have a GLN number, simply leave this field blank.
• RCC Number: Your Creditor Code Register number. This number is given to you when you register with a registration centre (e.g. ASCA/RME).
• Name, Address, Postcode: Your full contact details.

2. Patient information

• Name, address, date of birth: Mandatory patient details
  Law: As a general rule, LCA (Loi sur le Contrat d’Assurance) is selected, but it is possible to modify this field as necessary (for example when accident or military insurance costs are covered).
• Case date: Required only in the event of an accident
• Copy: ‘No’ if it is the original, ‘Yes’ if it is a copy.
• GaPa/No Date: This field is only required if you are covered by an insurance policy other than LCA.
• Type of reimbursement: The default value is TG (Tiers Garant: Reimbursement by the insurer to the patient/client), as this is the normal case. The contract number remains empty. (TP for Tiers Payant is also possible: Paiement direct par l’assureur au prestataire de services) est très rare car ils supposent des contrats avec les thérapeutes. La facture est acquittée par le patient et envoyée à l’assurance-maladie pour remboursement.
• Treatment: Treatment dates
• Reason for treatment: The reason for consultation: illness, accident, pregnancy, etc.
• Company No/Name: This field is not required.
• Date/Invoice number and Date/Recall number: The date and number of the invoice are usually filled in automatically.

3. Case details

• Referring doctor: The name of the doctor who referred the patient
• Diagnosis: The diagnosis made (for example: recurrent headaches), this field is optional
• Therapy: Choose group or individual therapy
• Valeur du point tarifaire (VPT): The tarif point value is always set to 1.00
• VAT (TVA): Indicate here whether or not you are subject to VAT. The VAT rate is then calculated automatically and updated in the footer of the invoice. VAT must be indicated for each service
• Remarks: Any additional comments to be sent to the insurer (e.g. “treatment completed”, or “3 additional sessions required”)

4. The list of positions to be billed for the session(s)

The list of Tarif 590 positions to be billed. Each new position contains a certain number of parameters, as described below:

• Date: the date on which the service was provided. There may be several different dates on the same 590 invoice if you choose to issue an invoice for several sessions.
• Rate: always use the 590 for your invoices!
• Tarif code: corresponds to the number of the item and its description, as defined in Tarif 590. For example, for an acupuncture consultation, the corresponding position is 1004 and its description Acupuncture, per 5-minute period.
  Please note: the text cannot be modified and the positions can only be used as defined!
• Quantity: the number of 5-minute periods performed (e.g. for a one-hour treatment:* 12 periods -> 12×5=60 minutes*)
• Price: the price per 5-minute period.
• VPt: Value of the tarif point (always 1.00 in your case!)
• VAT: If you are subject to VAT, enter the amount of the tax liability (2.6% or 8.1%). If not, enter 0%.
• Amount: the total amount (corresponding to Quantity x Price for each line)

We hope this article has clarified the various parts of the structure of a Tarif 590 invoice! To find out more, we invite you to discover our correspondence table Tarif 590 and ASCA method or our article on the legislation on Tarif 590.