Classic termination: a change effective January 1st
With compulsory health insurance in Switzerland, insurers usually change once a year. The premiums will be announced in the autumn and those insured can complete their contract by 30. November cancel to switch to January 1st of the following year. This procedure is still the most common way to compare premiums and choose a more suitable or cheaper health insurance company.
A change of health insurance is possible in certain cases on July 1st
However, there is one important exception: the ability to change health insurance during the year, effective July 1st.
This early termination is only permitted for persons who meet the following criteria:
- a traditional insurance model with free choice of doctor
- one decent franchise from CHF 300 for adults (or CHF 0 for children)
In this case, the termination must be made in good time: the health insurance company must accept the application no later than March 31st received so that the change takes effect on July 1st.
However, insured persons who have opted for an alternative model (family doctor, HMO or telemedicine) or a higher deductible cannot use this option and must wait until the end of the year.
An innovation since 2025: changing the model during the year
A new flexibility regulation has been introduced since January 1, 2025. Insured people with a traditional model can now do so within the year within your current health insurance change the insurance model.
Specifically, this enables the transition, for example:
- to the family doctor model
- to the HMO network
- to the telemedicine model.
This option is intended to make it easier to access alternative models, which often help to reduce health insurance premiums.
How do you find the cheapest health insurance premium?
Regardless of whether you want to switch on January 1st or July 1st or simply want to change your insurance model, comparing premiums remains an important step. There are more than 30 health insurance companies in Switzerland and the difference in premiums can be up to double. Before each cancellation, it is therefore advisable to analyze the different offers in order to choose the most suitable health insurance for your own situation and to optimize the costs of health insurance coverage. Benefit now from our online comparison of health insurance premiums 2026!
