Health Insurance from 18 and from 25: What Young Adults Should Know

1. How does health insurance work for children under 18?

For children and adolescents up to 18 years, significantly lower premiums apply. The children's premium usually lies at 20 to 25 percent of the adult premium. The exact amounts vary between insurers and cantons.

Special features for minors in basic insurance:

• No minimum deductible: For children, there is no mandatory deductible. The deductible can be freely chosen from CHF 0 to CHF 600.
• Lower co-payment: After reaching the deductible, the co-payment is at most CHF 350 per year, instead of CHF 700 for adults.
• Family rule: With three or more children at the same insurer, the total co-payment is at most CHF 1'000.
• No hospital contribution: Children and adolescents up to 18 are exempt from this.

As long as a child lives in the parental household, the parents take responsibility for the premiums. With insurers for families, additional discounts apply from the second child.

2. What changes in health insurance from 18?

With coming of age, several things change in health insurance, specifically on 1 January after the 18th birthday. The change takes place as part of the age brackets of the insurer under Art. 61 KVG.

Deductible: Without active notification, the minimum deductible of CHF 300 is automatically set. A higher deductible lowers the monthly premium noticeably.

Supplementary insurance: Existing supplementary insurance of the parents remains in place. From 18 you decide for yourself which to keep or take out.

3. How much more expensive does health insurance become from 25?

From 1 January after the 25th birthday, the reduced premiums for young adults lapse. The full adult premium applies from this point in basic insurance. For supplementary insurance, age jumps take place separately, usually every five years, and can likewise lead to premium increases.

With the change to the adult tariff, the monthly premium rises by approximately CHF 100 to 150. Additionally, the premium differences between insurers widen. A simultaneous change to an HMO or Telmed model with a higher deductible lowers the annual premium by several hundred francs with identical basic insurance benefits.

4. How do I save on health insurance as a young adult?

The following factors influence the level of the health insurance premium:

Use alternative insurance models

With HMO, family doctor or Telmed models you pay 20 to 25 percent less than in the standard model. The difference: you first consult a family doctor or choose an HMO practice.

Optimise deductible

With a higher deductible, the monthly premium drops. With regular treatments, a lower deductible pays off on balance.

Family discounts and collective discounts

Many insurers offer family discounts for children and partly also for young adults. Collective discounts in basic insurance still exist in part via associations or employers; their importance has declined in recent years.

Suspend insurance during military or civil service

With more than 60 consecutive days of military or civil service, the basic insurance can be suspended, for example during recruit school, since the military service takes over the health insurance.

Apply for premium subsidy (IPV)

The individual premium subsidy relieves households with low income. The cantons decide on entitlement and amount. You submit the application to the responsible cantonal office.

The premium differences are particularly high in the age bracket of young adults. Between the premium regions, savings amount to up to CHF 1'500 per year.

5. Best health insurance for young adults

There is no "best" insurer for young adults across the board. Premium level, deductible choice and insurance model determine the annual costs, as do canton of residence and health situation.

The benefits of basic insurance are identical at all insurers. The premium difference is therefore the central comparison factor. For higher comfort, additionally check supplementary insurance. There, the premium differences between providers are even larger.

6. When must I take out accident insurance myself?

Accident insurance coverage is mandatory in Switzerland. Coverage depends on the level of employment:

• Over 8 hours per week with the same employer: The employer insures mandatorily (UVG).
• Under 8 hours per week, studies, non-gainful: Accident coverage must be included in the health insurance.

Apprentices are insured through the training company. The accident coverage in the health insurance can be excluded, which reduces the premium by approximately CHF 30 to 40 per month.

Students without a relevant side job must keep the accident coverage in the health insurance.

After the end of the employment relationship, UVG protection continues for 31 days. A so-called agreement insurance extends it to up to six months.

This article was first published on 20/02/2026