How to cancel and switch supplemental insurance

When can you cancel supplemental health insurance? And how? Comparis shows you the deadlines and offers tips on switching policy.

Magdalena Soll

22.08.2024

A person signing a letter to cancel supplemental insurance.

iStock/bymuratdeniz

1.	General information on cancelling supplemental insurance
2.	Switching supplemental insurance: deadlines set by health insurers
3.	When can I cancel my supplemental insurance?
4.	Switching supplemental insurance: tips on how to proceed

1. General information on cancelling supplemental insurance

You can usually cancel supplemental insurance once a year.

Unlike basic insurance, health insurers don’t have to accept your application for supplemental insurance. It’s therefore a good idea to take out a new supplemental insurance policy before you cancel your old supplemental insurance.
The ordinary notice period for most health insurers is three months. You can often only cancel the policy at the end of the year. This means you usually need to give notice before 30 September. However, depending on the insurance provider, the notice period may vary. Check the conditions in your policy.
Most insurance policies can be cancelled after just one year. If this is not the case for you, you can terminate the contract after the third year at the latest (Art. 35a IPA, not available in English).
It’s best to send the health insurer your termination by registered letter. You can then use tracking to make sure the letter has arrived. Most insurers don’t accept cancellations by email.

When terminating a policy, the date of receipt by the health insurer matters, not the postmark. So, send the letter in good time.

Compare supplemental insurance

2. Switching supplemental insurance: deadlines set by health insurers

The minimum terms and notice periods for supplemental insurance policies vary from insurer to insurer. The table (correct as of August 2024) offers some insights. Important: depending on the product, other terms or periods may apply for a particular health insurer. Make sure you always check both your general insurance conditions and any additional insurance conditions.

Health insurer	Minimum contract period	Notice period
Agrisano	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Aquilana	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Assura	3 years	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Atupri	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Concordia	1 year, 3 years for supplemental hospital insurance	3 months to the end of the calendar year
CSS	Depends on the policy	3 months to the end of the calendar year
EGK-Gesundheitskasse	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Einsiedler Krankenkasse	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Galenos	-	3 months to the end of June or the end of the calendar year
Glarner Krankenversicherung	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Groupe Mutuel (AMB, Avenir, Easy Sana, Mutuel Assurance, Philos, Supra)	3 years	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Helsana	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
KK Visperterminen	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Klug	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
KPT	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Krankenkasse Birchmeier	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Krankekasse Luzerner Hinterland	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Krankenkasse Steffisburg	Depends on the policy	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Krankenkasse Wädenswil	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
ÖKK / KV Flachland	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Rhenusana	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Sanitas	-	3 months to the end of the calendar year
SLKK	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Sodalis	3 years	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Sumiswalder KK	Depends on the policy	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Swica / Provita	1 year	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Sympany	1 year; formerly Kolping depending on the policy	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Visana Group (Sana24, Visana, Vivacare)	Depends on the policy	3 months to the end of the calendar year
Vita Surselva	-	3 months to the end of June or the end of the calendar year

Information in accordance with the general insurance conditions of supplemental insurance. All information supplied without liability and subject to change.

3. When can I cancel my supplemental insurance?

You can terminate your supplemental insurance “ordinarily” (following the notice periods) or “extraordinarily” (at any time). However, you can only submit extraordinary termination in very specific cases.

Health insurers are free to set their own notice periods for supplemental insurance. However, the deadline must be the same for you and the health insurer (Art. 35a IPA, not available in English). Most insurers require three months’ notice. The deadline for cancellation in these cases is therefore 30 September.

Some supplemental insurance policies have longer minimum terms or notice periods. The notice periods are usually stated in the general insurance conditions. Check the date by which you need to cancel your supplemental insurance.

If your health insurer announces a premium increase, you can often also cancel at short notice. For many insurers, this also applies if the insured benefits change or become less favourable. Most insurance companies include this information in the general insurance conditions. The notice period in this case depends on your insurance policy. It may be:

By the end of the year
By the end of November
Within one month of the announcement of the premium change

If you have multiple supplemental insurance policies with the same insurer, different rules may apply to each policy depending on the insurer. Some insurers only allow you to cancel the policy affected by the premium change. Other insurers allow you to cancel all supplemental insurance policies.

Exceptions to the right to cancel in the event of a premium increase

If the premium increases due to personal circumstances, you can't cancel extraordinarily. This includes a premium increase due to moving address or entering another age group, for example.

You also can’t cancel if the premium increases due to requested changes, such as the inclusion of additional cover.

According to the Insurance Policies Act (Art. 42 IPA, not available in English), you can cancel supplementary insurance after each claim for which the insurance has provided benefits. You must cancel at the latest by the time the payout is made.

The following rule has applied since 2022: in the event of a claim, the health insurer may not cancel the supplemental insurance policy. The right to cancel in the event of a claim only applies to the insured person (Art. 35a IPA, not available in English).

If you move home, your notice period will depend on your health insurer. If the health insurer is available in the new place of residence, you can only cancel supplemental insurance ordinarily.

If your health insurer does not provide supplemental insurance at the new residential address, the insurer must cancel the contract. However, you will then have to look for new supplemental insurance.

Please note: the same conditions apply as for a normal change of supplemental insurance policy. In other words: each insurer is free to decide whether to accept or reject an application. You also have to answer health questions.

If your health insurer has violated its duty to provide information, you can terminate your contract extraordinarily (Art. 3a IPA, not available in English). A violation of the duty to provide information exists if the health insurer failed to give you all the information you need by law. This includes the term of the contract and notice periods.

4. Switching supplemental insurance: tips on how to proceed

Procedure for switching supplemental insurance

Would you like to switch your supplemental insurance? In that case, don’t just cancel your old insurance policy. That’s because compulsory admission doesn’t apply to supplemental insurance. This means that a new insurer is not obliged to accept your application. It’s best to follow these steps:

Compare the quotes of different supplemental insurance providers. Tip: you can request quotes through our brokerage partner Optimatis.
Choose the right supplemental insurance policy for you and apply for it.
Fill out the insurance application and health questionnaire truthfully.
Wait for confirmation of acceptance from the new insurer. Check the policy for any exclusions and restrictions.
Cancel your old supplemental insurance policy.

Further tips and useful information

Pay attention to the contract term of the supplemental insurance policy. Some health insurers offer discounts on multi-year contracts. However, this can make switching supplemental insurance more difficult.
What’s more, in the case of health risks, health insurers can specify an exclusion in the supplemental insurance policy. You’re not entitled to any benefits for the treatment of the illness listed in the exclusion.

Answer all questions on the application form accurately and completely. That’s because the health insurer may cancel the contract if the information is incorrect or incomplete (Art. 6 IPA, not available in English). You may then have to pay back any benefits you have already received.

Compare supplemental insurance