Why switching is a pure price decision
Basic insurance (Grundversicherung) benefits are fixed by law – every insurer must cover the same treatments. Only the premium differs, by canton, model and insurer. Comparing with the SAME franchise and model is the only fair comparison; the official priminfo.ch calculator shows every insurer without commissions.
The mechanics: dates that actually matter
Cancellation letter (registered mail) must arrive by November 30. New insurer confirmation should be secured first – for basic insurance, insurers must accept everyone, no health questions. Supplementary insurance is a separate contract with separate (often longer) notice periods: never cancel it before the new one is confirmed.
Make it an annual 20-minute ritual
Every October: check next year's premiums, compare with identical settings, switch if the gap exceeds ~CHF 20/month. Put the saved amount into a named savings goal – otherwise it dissolves into everyday spending.
Track these costs in your own budget: create your free Swiss budget in BudgetHub – in English, with Swiss categories built in.
Choosing the franchise: the calculation most people get wrong
The franchise (Franchise) is the annual amount you pay yourself before insurance contributes; above it, a 10 % co-payment (Selbstbehalt) applies up to CHF 700 per year for adults. Options run from CHF 300 to CHF 2'500, and the premium discount for a high franchise is fixed and known in advance.
The break-even is therefore arithmetic, not a gamble: compare the annual premium saving of the high franchise against the additional CHF 2'200 of risk you carry. For people with predictably low medical costs the high franchise wins clearly; for anyone with regular treatment, medication or a planned procedure, the low franchise usually wins.
The mistake is switching to CHF 2'500 without the money existing. A high franchise is only rational when the buffer covers it – otherwise a single accident turns a premium saving into debt-collection proceedings.
Insurance models: what you actually give up
Standard model: free choice of doctor, highest premium. Family doctor model (Hausarzt): you consult your registered GP first, who refers you onward – typically 10–15 % cheaper. Telmed: you phone a medical hotline before any consultation, often the cheapest option. HMO: you use a specified group practice.
None of these change what is covered – benefits in basic insurance are identical by law. They change the route to treatment. Emergencies are always excluded from the restriction, and specialists such as gynaecology and ophthalmology are usually directly accessible.
For expats, the family doctor model has a practical catch: you need a GP who is accepting new patients, which in some areas takes months. Secure the GP first, then switch model – not the other way round.
The switching sequence that avoids gaps
First obtain written confirmation from the new insurer – for basic insurance they must accept every applicant, without health questions. Only then send the cancellation to the current insurer by registered mail, timed to ARRIVE by 30 November.
Supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) is a separate contract with its own, often longer notice periods and genuine health screening. Never cancel it in the same envelope: rejection by the new provider is possible, and the old contract may already be gone.
Keep the confirmation and the registered-mail receipt until the first invoice of the new year arrives correctly. Disputes about whether a cancellation arrived are the single most common reason a switch fails.