Tips and tricks How to save money on health insurance

Health insurance premiums will rise again by an average of 6 percent in 2025. It is now more important than ever to take advantage of savings opportunities. Five tips and tricks on how to reduce your health insurance premiums.

Health insurers will send out the policies for 2025 by the end of October at the latest, after which you have until the end of November to adjust or cancel your basic insurance.

The increase in premiums is particularly hard on private households. To avoid paying too much and reduce costs, insured persons should follow these tips.

Before you change your insurance, it's worth taking a look at the premiums of other health insurance companies. You can use the federal government's premium calculator, priminfo.admin.ch, for example. This provides a neutral and ad-free overview of the current offers.

Even if you don't want to change your current health insurance company, there is often potential for savings. For example, you can check whether there is another insurance model or whether a higher deductible is an option for you.

Speaking of deductibles: In Switzerland, you can choose between six different deductible levels. CHF 300, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500.

If you have annual healthcare costs of less than CHF 2,000, the highest deductible of CHF 2,500 is the cheapest. In this case, the savings on monthly premiums significantly exceed the higher cost sharing.

If your annual healthcare costs exceed CHF 2,000, the lowest deductible of CHF 300 is generally the wiser choice. Although you pay higher monthly premiums, you have to contribute less to the treatment costs.

In view of rising premiums, now is the ideal time to review your choice of deductible in recent years. Has your chosen deductible been worthwhile in recent years?

If you are prepared to be more flexible in your choice of doctor, you can also benefit from premium discounts. So-called managed care models offer a variety of options, whereby you undertake to contact your family doctor, a call center (Telmed) or a medical center (HMO) first in the event of illness - with the exception of emergencies.

If you don't go to a specialist straight away, your health insurance can save you money. It passes this advantage on to you in the form of a discount. Today, most insured persons make use of such a savings model.

If you work at least eight hours a week for the same employer, you are already insured against accidents and can exclude this from your basic insurance. This avoids double insurance and therefore higher costs.

If you have a low income, you can apply for a premium reduction in your canton of residence. The contact points vary from canton to canton: in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau, for example, the social insurance office (SVA) is responsible for the calculations, while in other cantons it is the tax authorities or another office.

Please note: If you want to change your health insurer on January 1, 2025, the notice of termination of your basic insurance must be received by your previous health insurer by November 30 at the latest.

It is not the postmark on the notice of termination that is valid, but the date on which the health insurer received the notice of termination. It therefore makes sense to send the notice of termination by registered mail by mid-November at the latest. You can find a sample letter of termination on the priminfo.admin.ch website.