Swiss health insurance in 2027: is it time to review yours?

Every year, thousands of residents in Switzerland receive their new health insurance premiums and ask the same question: "Am I paying too much?" It is a fair question. In 2026, premiums for the compulsory health insurance rose by an average of 4.4%, with the average monthly premium reaching CHF 393.30. The 2027 premiums will be published later, after the official approval process.

But looking only at the monthly figure can be a mistake. A proper review considers not just how much you pay, but what you receive, which deductible you chose, which insurance model applies, what the person or family actually needs, and what supplementary cover exists.

In Switzerland it is essential to distinguish between compulsory health care insurance — Grundversicherung / KVG — and supplementary insurance — Zusatzversicherungen / VVG. Although many people hold both with the same company and receive what looks like joint documentation, legally they do not work the same way.

Basic insurance is compulsory for everyone subject to the insurance obligation in Switzerland. A key feature is that the covered benefits are defined by law. Nobody gets a "better" list of basic benefits simply by choosing a more expensive insurer. Furthermore, an insurer operating in the person's place of residence cannot refuse entry into the compulsory scheme on grounds of age or health status.

So if the legal benefits are identical, why are premium differences so significant? Because the amount varies according to, among other factors, the insurer, the premium region and place of residence, age, the deductible, the chosen insurance model, and the inclusion or exclusion of accident cover where applicable.

When someone tells us "I want to lower my Krankenkasse", the first reaction should not be to immediately look for another company. There are other variables to examine. One of them is the deductible.

For adults, the ordinary deductible is currently CHF 300 per year, with optional deductibles of CHF 500, CHF 1,000, CHF 1,500, CHF 2,000 and CHF 2,500. A higher deductible reduces the premium, but it also means bearing a larger share of the costs if you need care.

So: the deductible that is cheapest in monthly premium terms is not automatically the most economical solution at the end of the year. A healthy person with few medical expenses and the financial capacity to absorb a high deductible is in a very different position from someone who regularly needs consultations, medication or treatment.

And there is one question we consider essential: if you choose a high deductible, do you have the financial capacity to pay it if an unexpected illness arises? The BAG itself draws attention to this risk.

Cost sharing does not necessarily end once the deductible is reached.

In the compulsory scheme, an adult currently bears a Selbstbehalt of 10% of the costs above the deductible, up to the annual ceiling of CHF 700. Where applicable there is also a contribution of CHF 15 per day of hospitalisation, with certain exceptions.

This means a serious comparison must consider the potential overall cost, not simply "Insurer A: CHF X/month" against "Insurer B: CHF Y/month".

Another optimisation route is the insurance model. Besides the standard model, there are models that restrict choice or define a first point of entry into the health system. Depending on the solution, the first contact may be a family doctor, a network/HMO, or a telemedicine service. In exchange for following the model rules, the insured person may benefit from a reduced premium.

But here we meet another frequent mistake: choosing a model purely because it is cheaper. A model can be excellent for one person and poorly suited to another.

Before switching, you should understand: who do I have to contact first when I am ill? Can I go directly to a specialist? Is my current doctor compatible with the model? What happens if I do not follow the defined procedure?

Saving on the premium only makes sense if the insured person understands and is willing to follow the rules of the chosen solution.

Here we enter a completely different reality. Supplementary insurance can add benefits that are not part of the compulsory scheme, depending on the product: dental treatment, certain therapies, hospital cover, travel, glasses, prevention or other cover.

But there is an essential difference: a new insurer is not obliged to accept a client into supplementary insurance automatically. Unlike basic insurance, supplementary cover may involve a health assessment, and depending on the product and applicable conditions the insurer may decline the application or impose limitations and reservations. The BAG expressly highlights this difference.

From this follows one of the most important rules we pass on to clients: do not cancel a supplementary policy before you have secured the new solution.

Imagine cancelling supplementary cover you have held for several years. You then apply to another insurer. That insurer carries out its assessment and does not accept the cover you wanted. You can end up without the old cover and without the new one. A potential saving of a few francs a month does not justify a rushed decision.

This is an area of considerable confusion. 30 September is not a universal deadline for cancelling all health insurance in Switzerland.

For supplementary insurance, you must check the contractual conditions of the policy, including its term and notice period. Depending on the contract, a three-month notice period to year-end can make the end of September particularly relevant. September is therefore a good moment to take the policies out of the drawer and check what your Kündigung deadline actually is.

For basic insurance the situation is different. For an ordinary change of Grundversicherung effective 1 January, notice must as a rule reach the current insurer by 30 November. The BAG recommends not waiting until the last moment and suggests sending written notice by mid-November, so that there is proof of timely delivery.

This distinction is fundamental: basic and supplementary insurance should not be treated as though they were a single contract.

1. Deciding solely on the monthly premium. Saving CHF 20 a month may not pay off if the deductible or model does not suit your expected use.

2. Choosing a high deductible without the capacity to bear it. A CHF 2,500 deductible reduces the premium, but you must be ready to cover that amount if you need care.

3. Not knowing the rules of the chosen model. Hausarzt, HMO and other models can reduce the premium, but they impose rules that must be understood and respected.

4. Treating basic and supplementary insurance as a single product. They are different regimes, and the rules on switching and acceptance differ too.

5. Cancelling a supplementary policy before securing the next solution. In our view, one of the potentially most damaging mistakes.

6. Not checking the policy notice period. By the time the client realises they wanted to change cover, the contractual deadline may already have passed.

7. Renewing automatically without reassessing the situation. Life changes: marriage, children, a new job, self-employment, moving house and changes in health can all alter protection needs.

Before renewing automatically, take out your policies and check:

— How much am I currently paying per month and per year? — What is my deductible? — What is my insurance model? — Did I use medical services frequently this year? — Has my professional situation changed? — Is accident cover correctly configured? — Which supplementary policies do I hold? — Do I know exactly what each supplementary policy covers? — Is there cover that no longer matches my needs? — Are there needs that are currently unprotected? — What is the notice period for each contract? — Does the solution still suit my family?

If you cannot answer several of these questions, a review is worthwhile before making any decision.