Family Insurance: Health Insurance for Families
Basic insurance is mandatory in Switzerland for every person, including every child. Compando compares the health insurers for families and explains the registration of the baby, the family discounts and the supplementary insurance for children.
1. How does basic insurance work for families?
In Switzerland there is no classic family insurance and no family insurer with a joint policy. The system is based on individual premiums: every family member pays their own premium, regardless of household income. You choose for every child the insurer, the insurance model and the deductible separately. Every family member can be insured with a different insurer.
Basic insurance for children
You must register every child with the basic insurance of an insurer. The insurer and model can be freely chosen. With some insurers, direct access to the paediatrician is guaranteed independent of the model.
Costs and cost participation for children
For children under 18, special rules apply in basic insurance compared to adults.
Cost element | Rule for children |
|---|---|
Premium | 20 to 30 percent of the adult premium |
Deductible | Standard CHF 0, maximum CHF 600 |
Co-payment | Maximum CHF 350 per year |
Hospital contribution | Exempt, no contribution of CHF 15 per day |
Co-payment maximum from three children
If three or more children are insured with the same insurer, the annual co-payment for all children together is at most CHF 1'000 (Art. 64 Para. 4 KVG). The total cost participation for all children is at most twice the sum of deductible and co-payment (Art. 93 Para. 3 KVV). With several children, choosing the same insurer for all children is usually also financially worthwhile.
Compando tip: compare premiums per family member
With four insured persons, premium differences quickly add up to several thousand francs per year. The comparison per family member shows the right combination for your family.
2. When must I register my child with the insurer?
Before and after birth, three central steps with the insurer arise: pregnancy benefits, registration of the baby and cost coverage for birth defects.
Pregnancy: benefits of basic insurance
During pregnancy, basic insurance covers seven check-up examinations, two ultrasounds, the birth as well as a follow-up examination. Supplementary benefits such as birth preparation or additional examinations belong to the supplementary insurance in pregnancy.
Registration of the baby with the insurer
You have three months after birth to register the child with an insurer (Art. 3 KVG). The insurance coverage applies retroactively from the day of birth. A prenatal registration is possible and often advisable for supplementary insurance: it allows admission without policy restrictions, as long as no diagnosis is yet present. After birth, you register the baby with the health insurance for the baby with the birth certificate and AHV number.
Birth defects: invalidity insurance covers costs until 20
For recognised birth defects, the invalidity insurance covers the costs of medical treatments up to the 20th birthday. After that, the benefits of basic insurance apply. Examples of recognised birth defects are autism spectrum disorders or coeliac disease.
3. How much does health insurance cost for a family?
Health insurance premiums depend on place of residence, age, model and deductible. For a 4-person family in a high-price canton, premiums quickly add up to over CHF 1'100 per month (over CHF 13'000 per year). With the right adjustments, the amount can be significantly reduced.
Example calculation: 4-person family in the canton of Zurich
Parents (33 and 36 years old) with two children (6 and 9 years old) in the standard model with deductible CHF 300 pay around CHF 1'120 per month for the basic insurance. Switching parents to the family doctor model and deductible CHF 2'500, plus choosing a cheaper insurer for the children, lowers the premium to around CHF 735 monthly.
The following table compares the monthly premiums per family member before and after the optimisation. The last two rows show the total per month and per year.
Member | Premium before | Premium after |
|---|---|---|
Adult 36 yrs | CHF 450 | CHF 290 |
Adult 33 yrs | CHF 430 | CHF 275 |
Child 9 yrs | CHF 120 | CHF 85 |
Child 6 yrs | CHF 120 | CHF 85 |
Total per month | CHF 1'120 | CHF 735 |
Total per year | CHF 13'440 | CHF 8'820 |
The annual difference in this example is CHF 4'620 with identical KVG benefits. The difference is made by the choice of insurer (children), the model and the deductible (parents).
Compando tip: compare family premiums directly
Your family's savings potential depends on place of residence, age and model. The comparison shows the current premiums for all family members.
4. Which insurers offer family discounts?
Family discounts exist in basic insurance and in supplementary insurance. The type and amount of the discounts differ between insurers. Usually all children must be insured with the same insurer, sometimes also one parent.
Two main types of family discounts in basic insurance:
- Discount from the 3rd child: The first two children pay the regular premium. From the third child, the premium is discounted.
- Discount on all children's premiums: From a certain number of children, there is a discount on all children's premiums.
Compando tip: combine family discounts with splitting
Anyone who takes out basic insurance via splitting with a cheaper insurer and bundles supplementary insurance with a provider with high family discount uses both savings options. The difference with four insured persons often reaches over one thousand francs per year.
The following overviews show the current family discounts of Swiss insurers alphabetically sorted. Binding are the current premium and discount conditions of the respective insurer.
5. Which supplementary insurance is worthwhile for children?
Beyond basic insurance, two supplementary insurances are particularly widespread among children: dental supplementary insurance for orthodontic treatments and hospital supplementary insurance for more comfort during the hospital stay.
Dental supplementary insurance covers orthodontics
Braces cost between CHF 10'000 and 15'000. Basic insurance covers these costs only in legally defined exceptional cases, for example with severe jaw anomalies. A dental supplementary insurance for children covers part of these costs. The conclusion is often prenatal or before the 5th birthday, that is before the diagnosis of any malalignment. The waiting period is usually 1 to 2 years (consider waiting periods).
Hospital supplementary insurance for rooming-in and semi-private
For a hospital stay of the child, a hospital supplementary insurance covers rooming-in (bed of the accompanying person), free choice of hospital and doctor as well as a higher room standard. For children under 10 years, semi-private or private variants are widespread. Without existing diagnosis, the conclusion is possible without policy restriction with many providers. A risk assessment with health questions decides on admission.
6. How does a family switch insurer?
You can cancel the basic insurance at the end of the year (Art. 7 KVG). The termination must arrive at the insurer by the last working day in November. For supplementary insurance, usually a longer notice period applies, often by 30 September according to the general insurance conditions (AVB) of the product. Anyone wanting to switch the whole family plans the switch in autumn.
Four steps for the family switch:
- Check new premiums: The approved insurance premiums for the following year are published at the end of September. In the comparison, the premiums per family member are compared.
- Secure acceptance of the new supplementary insurance: Acceptance with the new insurer is only guaranteed for basic insurance. For supplementary insurance, the risk assessment decides. Only after written acceptance confirmation is the old supplementary insurance cancelled.
- Submit termination: The termination templates contain all mandatory information. Sending by registered mail secures the delivery confirmation.
- Coordinate switch date: Insurance coverage with the new insurer begins on 1 January of the following year without interruption.
Anyone who combines the switch with further savings options achieves the maximum potential: model switch, deductible adjustment and splitting add up in saving on health insurance premiums to up to CHF 3'800 per year for an adult, with a 4-person family correspondingly more.
Compando tip: annual comparison for families
The new health insurance premiums are published at the end of September. The annual comparison shows the current premiums of all Swiss insurers for the whole family.
