Save on health insurance premiums: your savings potential
Health insurance premiums can be expensive. Comparis provides tips on how to save on your health insurance.
07.10.2025
iStock/Milan Markovic
1. How much can I save on health insurance?
In 2026, the maximum savings potential for policyholders in Switzerland is 3,800 francs. However, the amount you could personally save depends on your current insurance situation.
According to a Comparis analysis, the savings potential for 200,000 people in Switzerland is at least 40%.
A savings potential of 40% equates to 2,200 francs in the case of an average annual premium of around 5,500 francs.
You can save on your premiums by:
Switching to a cheaper health insurer in your region
Increasing your deductible
Changing the insurance model with your health insurer
You can also save without changing your deductible: by switching insurer, you can reduce your premium by 20–30%, depending on your current situation.
Comparis tip: the Comparis health insurance comparison tool shows you how much you could save by switching.
Potential savings over 10 years
A Comparis comparison shows that an adult can save the equivalent of a small car over 10 years by changing their health insurance policy.
Imagine you changed your health insurance in January 2015 and adjusted your insurance model and deductible from the most expensive to the cheapest options available. Even without further changes in the following years, you’ll have been able to save over 35,000 francs by the end of 2025, depending on the region.
2. Save on health insurance premiums with the right insurance model
With alternative insurance models, your premiums can be up to 25% lower than with the standard model. Alternative insurance models include:
In the case of alternative insurance models, your first point of contact for medical issues changes. However, the benefits of basic insurance remain the same. It’s best to compare the prices and conditions of different models.
Compare health insurance premiums by first point of contact
In the Comparis health insurance comparison tool, you can compare health insurance premiums by the first point of contact:
The family doctor and HMO models have the doctor as the first point of contact. You can also see how good the availability of doctors is in your area.
The standard model offers a free choice of doctor.
You can show or hide all other models using the “Other” filter. You can also choose different first points of contact:
Emergency pharmacy
Telephone
Video call and chat
App
This way, you can find the right health insurance model for you.
3. Save on health insurance by increasing your deductible
The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. With the highest deductible, adults can save up to 1,540 francs per year. Children up to the age of 18 can save up to 420 francs per year by choosing the maximum deductible.
Good to know: the maximum discount for higher deductibles is set by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). This is regardless of your health insurer.
If you have a high deductible, you contribute more to the cost of your treatment. This means that in the worst case, you’ll have to pay 3,200 francs for the deductible and the coinsurance. Check whether you could afford these costs in an emergency, such as a serious illness.
Important: check which deductible makes sense for you. This depends on your expected healthcare costs.
As a rule of thumb, if you expect annual healthcare costs of over 2,000 francs, the lowest deductible of 300 francs is worthwhile. With lower annual costs, the highest deductible of 2,500 francs makes sense.
For children, it generally makes sense to choose the lowest deductible of zero francs. This is because children often need to see a doctor. In addition, their healthcare costs are difficult to predict.
4. Switch basic insurance and save money
Is your health insurer increasing your premium next year? Then compare the premiums of different providers. The benefits covered by basic insurance are clearly defined and are the same irrespective of health insurer. In other words, you don’t have to worry about worse coverage with cheaper insurance.
Good to know: you can take out basic and supplemental insurance with different health insurers. Your health insurer is not allowed to cancel your supplemental insurance if you change your basic insurance.
Comparis tip: are you planning to move home in the first half of the new year? Then check the premiums for your new address. Otherwise, you might pay a higher premium for most of the year.
5. Take out health insurance without accident cover
Do you work for the same employer at least eight hours a week? If so, you are automatically insured against accidents under the Accident Insurance Act – both for accidents at work and in your free time. This means you can exclude accident insurance from your health insurance.
Important: you must notify your health insurer if you are no longer covered for accidents by your employer. You’ll then have to take out accident insurance under the Health Insurance Act again. As a result, your basic insurance premiums will increase.
6. Get family discounts from your health insurer
Some health insurers offer a discount on basic insurance from the second or third insured child onwards. However, not all health insurers offer this family discount. Important: check whether a cheaper health insurance policy is worthwhile even if a family discount is available.
Some supplemental insurance providers offers a family discount from the first child. In this case, it may be worthwhile to insure parents and children with the same insurer.
7. Optimize supplemental insurance and save money on health insurance
Find out which supplemental insurance options you need and use. Cancel insurance policies where the premiums are higher than the benefits paid out
Many insurers offer collective discounts for supplemental health insurance. This means, for example, that your employer has concluded a collective agreement that you can join – and this makes your premium cheaper. Check your memberships and compare deals.
Do you have supplemental hospital insurance? Flex products may be worthwhile – depending on how often you go to hospital each year.
With flex insurance, you contribute to the costs of an upgrade for a hospital stay in a semi-private or private room. In other words, you pay lower premiums and can save more than the annual maximum out-of-pocket expenses for upgrades.
Good to know: in some cases, you can pause your supplemental insurance for a certain period of time. This might be of interest, for example, if you go on an extended holiday abroad.
8. Suspend your health insurance in the event of compulsory service
Do you have to go to the military, civil protection or civilian service for at least 60 days at a time? If so, you can suspend your health insurance. During this time, you are covered by military insurance.
9. Apply for an individual premium reduction (IPR)
People on low incomes can benefit from premium reductions in some cases. To be eligible for this, your annual income must be below a certain limit.
The cantons pay the remainder of your reduced premiums directly to your health insurer. The health insurer will then deduct the premium reduction from your premiums. If you have already paid premiums before the payout, you will receive a refund from your health insurer.
Problems paying health insurance premiums
Can you pay your health insurance premiums comfortably? According to a Comparis survey on personal finances in July 2025, 16% of respondents repeatedly have difficulty finding the money for their premiums.
10. Pay your health insurance premiums annually
Some health insurers give you discounts if you pay your premiums in advance. You can save up to 2% by paying annually instead of monthly. If you pay the premiums every six months, you can save up to 1%. Check with your health insurer what discounts they offer for the advance payment of health insurance premiums.
This article was first published on 07.11.2022
