Health Insurance Deductible: Which Deductible Is Worthwhile?

1. What is the deductible in Switzerland and how does it work?

The deductible is the part of healthcare costs that you bear yourself in mandatory basic insurance before the insurer covers costs. Together with the co-payment, it forms your statutory cost participation. You set the level once a year. A high deductible reduces your premium and increases the financial risk.

The annual deductible is between CHF 300 and CHF 2'500 for adults. For children, the deductible is between CHF 0 and CHF 600. As soon as your deductible is used up, the insurer takes over the costs, minus 10 % co-payment (maximum CHF 700 per year for adults, CHF 350 for children).

Deductible levels are legally identical

Deductible levels and benefits catalogue are laid down by law (KVG) in the Swiss health insurance system and identical at all insurers. The deductible only influences the cost distribution. The scope of benefits of basic insurance remains the same.

Your own participation in the healthcare costs consists of three parts: deductible (freely selectable), co-payment (10 % above the deductible, maximum CHF 700 per year for adults) and hospital contribution (CHF 15 per day for inpatient stays, without children and maternity).

More about cost participation

Cost participation explained: premium, deductible & co-payment

How deductible, co-payment and hospital contribution form the statutory cost participation. Compando classifies the three components at a glance.

2. Which deductibles exist in Switzerland?

The deductible levels are laid down in the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV): six levels for adults, seven for children. A higher deductible lowers your monthly premium. How much you can save per year at most is legally limited and the same at all insurers.

Optional deductibles for adults (from 19 years)

Optional deductibles for children (up to 18 years)

How to read the tables: If you switch as an adult from the minimum deductible CHF 300 to CHF 2'500, you save at most CHF 1'540 per year in premiums. Every insurer sets the actual discount itself; it may not exceed the legal maximum value. Not all providers offer all levels.

Usual in practice: For children, deductible CHF 0 is the standard, because regular doctor visits and prevention arise. For families with children, this choice is the norm. Adults usually decide for the extreme values CHF 300 or CHF 2'500, since the middle levels save less premium than the additional risk costs.

You choose your deductible independently from other family members. Often, parents combine CHF 2'500 for themselves with CHF 0 for the children.

3. Which deductible is worthwhile in Switzerland?

Which deductible pays off for you depends on your healthcare costs, risk appetite and financial reserves. Three typical profiles in practice:

Three profiles and the suitable deductible

Example: A 30-year-old single person from Zurich saves with deductible CHF 2'500 around CHF 1'540 premium per year and bears at most CHF 3'200 own costs in case of illness (maximum deductible CHF 2'500 + maximum co-payment CHF 700). Retirees with chronic therapies pay less with the low deductible CHF 300, since annual healthcare costs are usually above the breakeven. Families often combine CHF 2'500 for adults with CHF 0 for children, since regular doctor visits arise for children. For families with children, additional discount mechanisms apply.

CHF 300 vs. CHF 2'500: the calculation example

Cost balance with healthcare costs of CHF 3'000 per year:

Breakeven analysis: The premium difference is CHF 1'440 per year. Together with the co-payment, your breakeven is around CHF 2'000 healthcare costs per year. Below this threshold, the high deductible reduces your total costs; above it, the low deductible is worthwhile.

Why middle deductible levels rarely pay off

Deductible levels between minimum and maximum give too small a discount for the higher risk. At CHF 1'000, your risk rises noticeably, but the discount hardly. The levels CHF 500 to CHF 2'000 usually perform worse than CHF 300 and CHF 2'500.

In addition to the deductible, your model choice such as family doctor, Telmed or HMO acts as the second large savings option on the premium. The tariff difference between standard with deductible CHF 300 and HMO with deductible CHF 2'500 lies between municipalities at around CHF 2'500 to 3'000 per year.

4. When can I switch the deductible?

For deductible changes, fixed deadlines apply, valid from 1 January of the following year. Decisive is the date of receipt at your insurer; the postmark does not count. Without notification to the insurer, your previous deductible level extends automatically into the next year.

Lower deductible: by 30 November

You can switch to a lower deductible at the beginning of a calendar year. The notification about the desired lower deductible must arrive at your insurer by the last working day in November. Send the notification by mid-November at the latest by registered mail for secure delivery.

Raise deductible: by 31 December

You can also choose a higher deductible at the beginning of a calendar year. The notification about the desired higher deductible must arrive at the insurer by the last working day in December. Send the notification by mid-December at the latest by registered mail.

Switch deductible during the year

You cannot adjust the deductible during the year. Under two conditions, however, you may terminate your basic insurance at the end of June and switch the deductible from 1 July:

• Insurance with standard model (free choice of doctor) and
• lowest deductible (CHF 300 for adults, CHF 0 for children).

The notification to the insurer must arrive by the last working day in March (deadline 31 March).

With systematic premium saving, you reach with the annual combination of deductible adjustment, model choice and insurer switch for an average family up to CHF 3'000 savings potential per year.

This article was first published on 12/02/2026