GENERAL
TERMS & CONDITIONS
(GTC)

Practice Alexandra Kotthaus

General Practitioner

Board-certified Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist

1. Scope of Application

These General Terms and Conditions (GTC) apply to all medical services, treatments, and consultations provided by the Practice Alexandra Kotthaus, hereinafter referred to as the "Practice." By scheduling an appointment or commencing treatment, the patient fully acknowledges and accepts these terms.

2. Appointments and Cancellation Policy

Binding Nature: Every scheduled appointment (via telephone, online, or in person) is legally binding.
Cancellations: If an appointment cannot be kept, the cancellation must be made at least 24 hours in advance (on business days).
Cancellation Fee: Appointments that are not cancelled or are cancelled late will be billed at a flat rate, as the time reserved for the patient cannot be utilized otherwise. These costs are explicitly not covered by health insurance and must be paid privately by the patient.

3. Subject-Specific Provisions

3.1. General Medicine

Dispensing of Medication: The Practice is authorized for self-dispensation; medication is dispensed in accordance with cantonal pharmaceutical regulations.
Emergencies: In the event of life-threatening emergencies, dial 144. Outside of office hours, the official cantonal emergency service is to be contacted.

3.2. Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

Duty to Cooperate: Successful psychiatric treatment requires the active cooperation of the patient.
Capacity to Consent: In the event of impaired capacity to consent, actions will be taken in accordance with the Child and Adult Protection Law (KESR), involving legal representatives.
Record Keeping: Personal notes made by the psychiatrist/therapist serve internal case management and are not subject to the general right of access to medical record.

3.3. Complementary Medicine

Methodology: Complementary medical treatments are intended as a supplement to conventional medicine.
Cost Coverage: The patient is personally responsible for verifying with their health insurance provider in advance whether and to what extent complementary medicine services (via supplementary insurance or basic insurance/KVG) are covered.
Disclosure: The patient is informed that certain methods do not correspond to the standards of classical conventional medicine but are applied diligently according to the rules of the respective healing art.

4. Billing and Debt Collection (Ärztekasse)

Assignment of Claims: The Practice assigns its claims for fees to the Ärztekasse Genossenschaft for the purpose of billing and debt collection.
Data Transfer: The patient consents to the transfer of all data necessary for billing (personal details, diagnostic codes according to TARDOC/ICD-10, treatment dates) to the Ärztekasse.
Payment Terms: Invoices must be paid within the period specified on the statement. In the event of late payment, the Ärztekasse is entitled to charge reminder fees and default interest and, if necessary, initiate legal debt collection proceedings.

5. Professional Secrecy and Data Protection

Professional Secrecy: All employees are subject to strict professional secrecy in accordance with Art. 321 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB).
Waiver: The patient releases the physician from the duty of confidentiality toward the Ärztekasse and—within the framework necessary for treatment—toward other involved practitioners (e.g., laboratories, specialists).
DSG: Data processing is conducted strictly in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (DSG).

6. Liability

Liability is governed by the legal provisions of the law of mandate (Art. 394 et seq. of the Swiss Code of Obligations/OR). Liability for slight negligence is excluded.

7. Jurisdiction and Applicable Law

The exclusive place of jurisdiction for all legal relationships and disputes arising from these GTC is 9100 Herisau, AR, Switzerland, and Swiss law shall apply exclusively.

Herisau, January 2026

PHILOSOPHIE