How to change health insurer in Switzerland: deadlines and steps
Updated · 3 sources
Direct answer
You can change your Swiss basic health insurer (KVG) every year for 1 January, with no health check and no right of refusal, as long as your cancellation reaches the old insurer by the last working day of November and you have no unpaid premiums. Supplementary insurance is a separate private contract: never cancel it before the new insurer has accepted you in writing.
Key facts
- Basic insurance (KVG): cancellation must arrive by the last working day of November for a 1 January switch
- Lower your franchise with the same insurer by 30 November; raise it by 31 December
- Insurers must accept everyone for basic insurance; supplementary cover may refuse you
- Compare on the federal priminfo.admin.ch, not on commission-paid comparison sites
The switch, step by step
- 1From late September, look up your real premium for next year on priminfo.admin.ch (the federal calculator) for your canton, age group and franchise.
- 2Decide the franchise first (CHF 300 vs 2,500 covers almost everyone; see the comparison guide), then the model: standard free choice of doctor, HMO, GP or Telmed.
- 3Apply to the new insurer for basic insurance. Acceptance is guaranteed by law for KVG.
- 4Cancel the old basic insurance by registered letter so that it arrives by the last working day of November. Arrival counts, not the postmark.
- 5Keep supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) untouched until any new supplementary contract is confirmed in writing; it follows private contract law, with its own notice periods, often 3–6 months.
- 6Check the first premium invoice in January and keep the old insurer's written confirmation of cancellation.
The two mistakes that cost people a year
Posting the cancellation in late November instead of ensuring arrival: if it lands on 1 December, you are locked in for another year. And cancelling supplementary cover to 'switch everything at once', then being refused by the new insurer on health grounds; basic and supplementary are legally separate, and only basic carries an acceptance duty.
A third, quieter one: switching insurer but keeping an intermediate franchise (500–2,000) that almost never wins on total cost against CHF 300 or CHF 2,500 once you run the numbers.
FAQ
- Can a Swiss health insurer refuse me?
- Not for mandatory basic insurance (KVG): every insurer must accept every applicant resident in its area. Refusal is only possible for voluntary supplementary insurance.
- What is the deadline to change insurer for 1 January?
- Your cancellation must reach the current insurer by the last working day of November. Send it by registered mail in good time; the date of receipt is decisive.
- Can I change my franchise without changing insurer?
- Yes. Notify your insurer by 30 November to lower the franchise, or by 31 December to raise it, effective 1 January.
- What if I have unpaid premiums?
- You cannot switch basic insurer while premium payments or cost shares are outstanding and in formal arrears proceedings. Clear the debt first, then cancel by the November deadline.
Related guides
- Choosing a Swiss health insurance franchiseAdults in Switzerland choose a franchise of CHF 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 or 2,500. After the franchise, you pay 10% of further costs, up to CHF 700 per year.
- Franchise CHF 300 or CHF 2,500? The break-even is about CHF 1,800 of billsChoose the CHF 2,500 franchise if your expected medical bills stay below roughly CHF 1,800–2,000 a year and the CHF 300 franchise if they run above it. The federal rules cap the premium discount for the highest franchise at CHF 1,540 a year, so the mid franchises (500–2,000) are dominated in almost every scenario: they carry most of the risk for a fraction of the discount.