Double Insurance Health Insurance: What to Do and How to Avoid

1. What is double insurance, and in which cases is it allowed?

Double insurance means: you are insured with two insurances against the same risk. An example: two supplementary insurances that both pay you for medications outside the specialty list.

In principle, in Switzerland you can only be insured with one mandatory health insurance (KVG, Federal Court Decision 130 V 448). This is intended to prevent double insurance in mandatory health insurance. With supplementary insurance, on the other hand, it is possible.

2. Basic insurance double: how it arises and what you should do

In practice, it regularly happens that several thousand persons receive premium invoices from two health insurers. They are thus factually double-insured. Triggers are usually administrative errors during the insurer change. Two causes are particularly frequent:

• Open invoices: If you have open invoices with your previous insurer, you cannot switch insurer (Art. 64a Para. 6 KVG). If your previous insurer fails to inform the new one and the new one nevertheless enters into an insurance relationship, you are factually double-insured.
• Missed termination: Often the new insurer takes care of terminating the previous one. If it fails to do so, you remain insured with your previous insurer. If the new insurer nevertheless enters into an insurance relationship, a factual double insurance exists.

In the insurance comparison you see models and premiums of all Swiss insurers at a glance.

How to avoid double insurance

• Cancel the old basic insurance yourself by registered mail. The termination template provides the sample texts.
• Settle all open invoices before the switch.
• Request written confirmation of termination. With this you can legally conclude a new basic insurance.

More about the insurer change

Switch health insurer: deadlines and instructions

When can I cancel the health insurance? Which notice periods apply and how does the switch proceed smoothly? The Compando guide shows the steps, provides a termination template and names all important dates.

3. Accident insurance double: how to exclude the double coverage

With accident insurance, double insurances occur relatively often. The reason: in basic insurance, you can add the accident coverage as an option. Often, however, you are already insured through your employer.

If you work at least eight hours per week for the same employer, you are insured through them against work and non-work accidents. If at the same time the accident coverage is included in your basic insurance, you pay double premiums for the same benefit.

With less than eight weekly hours or self-employment, you continue to need the accident coverage in your health insurance. If your employment ends, accident protection continues for another 31 days. A so-called agreement insurance extends the protection to up to six months.

If you exclude the accident coverage in the basic insurance, you save up to 7 percent premium (Art. 91a KVV). How much exactly depends on your insurer and premium region.

4. Supplementary insurance double: which deadlines for revocation and termination apply

You already have a supplementary insurance and take out another one? Then a double insurance arises. With a few steps you prevent this already before contract conclusion.

A typical example shows the hospital supplementary insurance:

How to avoid double insurance

With these tips you prevent double insurance in supplementary insurance:

• Check notice periods: Look at the notice period of your previous insurance before applying for a new one. Most supplementary insurances run for at least one year. The notice period is usually three months. Often you can only cancel at the end of a year.
• Avoid multiple applications: If both insurers accept your applications, you are in principle bound to the new contracts. With this you are double-insured.
• Use the right of revocation: Since 2022 you can revoke a new supplementary insurance contract within 14 days after conclusion (Art. 2a VVG). Send the revocation by registered mail. The date of the postmark is decisive.

How to cancel a discovered double insurance

If you discover a previously unnoticed double insurance, you can terminate the last contract concluded within four weeks (Art. 46b Para. 2 VVG). Inform both insurers (Art. 46b Para. 1 VVG). Send the termination by registered mail. The date on which the termination arrives at the insurer is decisive.

What to do after missing the four-week deadline?

If you do not cancel the new insurance within four weeks of discovery, you are bound to both contracts. The new insurer may be willing to suspend or amicably dissolve the contract. You have no legal claim to this. Otherwise only the ordinary termination of one of the supplementary insurances remains.

Observe minimum contract duration

Supplementary insurance contracts usually have a minimum term of one year. If the minimum contract duration of the two insurances does not end on the same day, cancel the insurance whose minimum term ends sooner. If the earliest possible termination dates are identical, it pays off to cancel the insurance with the worse contract conditions. Since 2022 you can, according to law, ordinarily cancel insurance contracts after three years at the latest.

5. Double insurance in everyday life: which life events trigger it

Double insurances usually arise during life events. Four situations are particularly tricky:

• Year-end with insurer change: On 1 January, hundreds of thousands switch their basic insurance every year. If a termination is overlooked, double insurance arises. This is the most frequent trigger.
• Starting a job with accident coverage: If you start a job with at least eight weekly hours, you are accident-insured through the employer. If accident coverage in the basic insurance remains active, you pay double for the same benefit.
• Parallel applications: If you submit applications to two insurers at the same time and both accept, you are bound to both contracts. This is particularly tricky with hospital, dental and complementary medicine policies.
• Marriage or family reunification: If you and your partner bring similar supplementary insurance, benefits can overlap. Particularly with travel, dental or hospital supplementary insurance, the comparison pays off.

Anyone who consciously runs basic and supplementary insurance with different insurers speaks of splitting health insurance. This is not double insurance, but a deliberate separation. With splitting you can save on health insurance premiums without losing insurance coverage.

This article was first published on 20/02/2026