INSURANCE · 3 min read

5 health-insurance mistakes most Swiss residents still make

Published 14 April 2026 · Updated 20 July 2026

Basic health insurance is the most hated line in the Swiss budget — and one of the easiest to optimise. The five mistakes below are the most common; fixing them is worth, depending on your situation, between CHF 800 and CHF 2'400 a year (illustrative estimates based on the premium gaps published by the FOPH).

1. Keeping the minimum deductible "to be safe"

The rule is mathematical: if your annual medical costs are durably low (a few hundred francs), the maximum deductible of CHF 2'500 almost always wins, because the premium reduction outweighs the extra risk. The tipping point sits around CHF 1'900 to 2'000 of medical costs a year — below it, high deductible; above it, or with regular treatment, CHF 300.

2. Staying on the standard "free choice of doctor" model

Alternative models — family doctor, HMO, telemedicine — cut the premium by roughly 8% to 20% for identical care. The constraint: calling a number or going through your GP before a specialist. For most people, that is already the natural reflex.

3. Never comparing in the autumn

The 2027 premiums are published at the end of September 2026; you have until 30 November to cancel with your insurer (letter or online cancellation — receipt is what counts). Basic benefits are identical across all insurers — that is the law. Paying 30% more for the same cover makes no sense. The Confederation's official comparator (priminfo.admin.ch) does the maths in ten minutes.

4. Overlapping supplementary policies

Many people pay twice for the same thing: an "outpatient" supplementary policy covering glasses already reimbursed by another policy, travel insurance when the credit card and the hospital supplementary already cover you abroad. List your policies line by line and cancel the duplicates — supplementary policies (LCA) have their own notice periods, often 3 months before the annual renewal.

5. Forgetting the simple discounts

• Annual rather than monthly payment: some insurers grant a 1 to 2% discount.
• Suspending accident cover if you are employed more than 8 hours a week: accidents are already covered by your employer (LAA). It is a tick-box that cuts the premium by about 5 to 7%.
• Cantonal subsidies: depending on your income and canton, a premium reduction is possible — many people entitled to it never claim it.