Switching Swiss health insurance: a step-by-step guide

The deadlines at a glance

For the ordinary switch as of 1 January 2027: your cancellation must arrive at your current insurer by 30 November 2026 at the latest – receipt counts, not the postmark. With the ordinary CHF 300 deductible and the standard model, an additional switch as of 30 June is possible (arrival by 31 March); if a premium change is announced, you may cancel as of the end of the month before it takes effect, which for the usual 1 January change again leads to 30 November.

Plan backwards: compare premiums and apply to the new insurer in October or early November, and send the cancellation by registered mail by mid-November. All details on form, receipt and special cases – including a model letter to copy – are covered in our guide «Cancelling Swiss health insurance» (linked below).

Guaranteed acceptance: every insurer must take you

Basic insurance comes with an obligation to accept: every insurer operating in your canton of residence must accept you – regardless of age, state of health or pre-existing conditions. There are no health questions, no exclusions and no risk surcharges. An application for basic insurance simply cannot be rejected. You never need to wonder whether a switch is “possible for your profile” – it always is.

The system does know one hurdle: premium arrears. Anyone who is behind on premiums and under debt enforcement for them cannot switch insurer until the arrears are paid. Settle any outstanding premium invoices before the switch – otherwise the cancellation has no effect and you stay with your current insurer.

Step by step: how the switch works

The switch itself consists of five steps – ideally in exactly this order:

• Compare premiums based on the official FOPH data – with your correct deductible, your model and the right accident-cover setting.
• Apply to the new insurer: request an offer, submit the application and wait for the confirmation of acceptance.
• Cancel your current basic insurance by registered mail – early enough for the cancellation to arrive by 30 November.
• Check both confirmations: the acceptance confirmation from the new insurer and the cancellation confirmation from the current one.
• The new contract applies from 1 January – the first premium invoice comes from the new insurer.

Why no gap in cover can occur – and why the order still matters

The law rules out gaps in cover in the ordinary switch: your existing contract only ends once the new insurer has confirmed to the current one that it will insure you without interruption. This notification runs directly between the insurers – you are never uninsured at any point. That is a fundamental difference to many other contracts, where a cancellation can leave you without cover.

Even so, a fixed order has proven itself: take out the new basic insurance first, then cancel the old one. That way the acceptance confirmation is in hand before the cancellation deadline, and you are not under time pressure in November. If you cancel first and postpone the application, you risk no gap – without a successor insurer the cancellation simply never takes effect – but at worst you miss the date and wait another year for the lower premium.

A note on your budget: alongside switching, Switzerland has individual premium reductions (Prämienverbilligung). The cantons subsidise premiums for people in modest financial circumstances; eligibility, income thresholds and the procedure are regulated at cantonal level. It is worth asking your canton of residence – the reduction does not depend on which insurer you are with.

Supplementary insurance: a separate contract with its own rules

Supplementary insurance is legally a different contract: it falls under the Insurance Contract Act (VVG), not the KVG. This has three practical consequences. First, different and often longer notice periods apply – your policy conditions are decisive. Second, insurers may ask health questions for supplementary cover. Third, they may reject applications or accept them only with exclusions – the acceptance obligation of basic insurance does not apply here.

Two rules follow. Never cancel a supplementary policy before the new one is confirmed in writing – otherwise you may end up with no supplementary cover at all. And: basic and supplementary insurance do not have to be with the same insurer. Switching basic insurance leaves your supplementary policy untouched – you can move basic insurance to the cheapest insurer and keep the supplementary cover unchanged with your current one. For many insured people, exactly this combination is the simplest route to a lower total bill without putting acquired supplementary cover at risk.