Collective health insurance discount: what is it, and who can benefit?
Employers, associations and societies can take out collective contracts with health insurers. What exactly is a collective health insurance contract, and who can benefit? Comparis explains the ins and outs.
12.05.2023
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1. Collective health insurance discount: what is it?
Organizations can take out collective insurance agreements with the health insurers. Collective insurance means: a group of people is subject to the same contract. Members then benefit from discounts on health insurance premiums.
Important: collective discounts are only possible with supplemental insurance. They are usually up to a maximum of 10%. Discounts may change annually.
2. Who offers collective health insurance?
Various organizations can offer collective insurance. They include the following:
Companies (e.g. Raiffeisen, Swiss)
Associations (e.g. Teachers’ Association, ETH Alumni)
Associations (e.g. Commercial Association, Traffic Club of Switzerland [VCS])
Are you unsure whether your employer, association or society offers group insurance? You should contact the organization directly for more information.
3. Who benefits from a collective health insurance contract?
The following persons can join a collective insurance policy:
Employees and members of an organization with collective insurance
Partner and children living in the same household
Depending on the contract, retired people can also benefit from collective discounts. However, some health insurance companies set an age limit beyond which it is no longer possible to join.
What happens to the collective discount if I change employers?
Are you changing employers? In this case, your right to the collective discount will usually also lapse. This means that your collective agreement will become an individual supplementary insurance contract – and thus more expensive. You should therefore check whether there are cheaper providers and, if necessary, change your supplementary insurance.
4. When can you switch to health insurance with the collective discount?
Are you already insured with the health insurance company with the collective discount? Then it is possible to switch on the first day of the following month.
Do you have to cancel your supplemental insurance policy for the change? Wait for the new insurer to confirm your acceptance before cancelling. Cancellation is usually only possible at the end of the year. The notice period is usually three months.
5. Health insurance collective discount: when is it worth it?
Even when a collective agreement with Helsana or a collective discount with CSS is possible, it’s worth taking a close look and calculating the exact savings. A cheaper health insurance company may be the better solution for you.
Don’t forget to compare basic insurance. You can take out basic and supplemental insurance with different providers. This is usually also possible if you have supplemental insurance with a collective discount. Contact your health insurer.
This article was first published on 12.05.2023
