Basic and supplemental insurance with different health insurers: is it possible?
You can save money in some cases by taking out basic insurance and supplemental insurance with different providers. Comparis explains the concept of “splitting” insurance.
01.10.2025
iStock/Edwin Tan
1. Can I have basic and supplemental insurance with separate providers?
You can take out basic and supplemental insurance with different health insurers. Under certain circumstances, this may even be cheaper than taking out both insurance policies with the same health insurer.
Good to know: the technical term for separating basic insurance and supplemental insurance is “splitting”.
No guarantee of acceptance by supplemental insurers
Would you like to change your supplemental insurance? Then please keep in mind: your application for the new supplemental insurance policy is not guaranteed to be accepted. Health insurers are not obligated to accept you.
Only cancel your old supplemental insurance policy once you have received a definitive confirmation from the new health insurer. This ensures that you don’t end up without any supplemental insurance at all.
2. Splitting basic and supplemental insurance: pros and cons
Do you have your supplemental insurance with a different health insurer than your basic insurance? This entails both advantages and disadvantages for you.
Advantage of splitting
You can flexibly switch your basic insurance every year. This could potentially save you several thousand francs per year.
You can also take out supplemental insurance to suit your needs. You do not have to limit yourself to the policies offered by the health insurer that provides your basic insurance.
Good to know: are you switching to a different health insurer for your basic insurance? In that case, your current health insurer is not allowed to cancel your supplemental insurance (Art. 7 para. 7 HIA).
Disadvantages of splitting
The benefits of basic insurance are defined by regulations. However, in some instances, it’s not clear which benefits are covered by basic and which by supplemental insurance. In such cases, you may be referred from one insurer to the other.
Good to know: are you unable to agree with your health insurers on who is liable to pay? If so, you can contact the ombudsman office for health insurance.
If you have split your basic and supplemental health insurance, you will receive multiple premium bills. This can increase the amount of paperwork you have.
Comparis tip: use direct debit or e-bill to pay your premium bills. This will save you time.
Some health insurers give you a discount on supplemental insurance if you already have basic insurance with them. Other discounts such as family discounts or collective discounts are also available. If you change your basic insurance, the premium for your supplemental insurance may increase.
In addition, health insurers may apply administrative surcharges if you cancel your basic insurance. This is because doing so raises the administrative burden for supplemental insurance.
Before cancelling your basic insurance, check whether doing so would increase the premium for your supplemental insurance policy. It may be cheaper overall if you don’t change your basic insurance.
Can splitting also lead to double insurance?
If you switch to a different insurer, there’s always a risk of double insurance. However, this risk exists regardless of whether the two forms of insurance are split or not.
In the case of basic insurance, you may only be insured with one health insurer. In rare cases, however, double insurance might occur. This issue is more common in supplemental insurance and accident insurance. This is because there is no control mechanism to check whether insurance cover for a particular area already exists.
3. Reimbursement of medical expenses with different insurers
Do you have basic and supplemental insurance with different health insurers? Then take the following steps to request the reimbursement of medical expenses:
Before sending anything, make copies of the medical bills. If your service provider sends you two original invoices, you can forward them to the relevant insurers.
Send your invoices to your basic insurance first. Inform the insurer that you have supplemental health insurance with another provider. Your basic health insurer will check the invoice and send you a statement.
Will your basic health insurance not cover the cost of all the services? In that case, forward the basic insurance statement to the supplemental insurance along with a copy of the doctor’s invoice.
Does your doctor bill directly through the insurance company? Then let the practice know which health insurers you are insured with. This allows the costs to be allocated correctly.
This article was first published on 04.08.2022
