From 2025, many of those looking to switch their basic health insurance plan in Switzerland will be able to do so throughout the year rather than just in the autumn. Here’s what the change means for expats.
Under the current system, anyone who wishes to change their mandatory Swiss health insurance can only do so at the end of each calendar year. Typically, those who switch have to wait until the government announces the average increase in insurance premiums for the year in September, and their providers inform them of their new deal.
They then have until the end of October to choose a new provider and deal, and let their old provider know of the change via post. In practice, this means that most policyholders are locked into their insurance plan for the whole 12 months.
Now, the Swiss government has confirmed that this system will be made more flexible from January 1, 2025, allowing many residents to switch their insurance plans whenever they please.
From January 2025, anyone on the “standard model” of Swiss basic health insurance - which allows for a free choice of doctor, pharmacy and specialists - will be able to switch to an alternative plan with the same provider at any time of year. This should make it possible for these people to cut their health insurance premiums whenever they see fit.
Along with being able to choose a different deductible, policyholders can switch to cheaper more restrictive models of insurance like the family doctor, HMO, Telmed and hybrid plans. The government said that the change “will be particularly beneficial for those insured persons whose financial circumstances change and who are looking for a way to reduce their premium burden.”
The change comes as the Swiss government continues to grapple with the fact that insurance premiums have risen significantly for three years in a row. Though healthcare providers have now agreed to a 1 percent cap on premium rises from 2026, data released by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s Centre for Economic Research expects the overall cost of medical care to eclipse 103 billion francs a year in 2025, rising to 106 billion by 2026.
While the change will be welcomed by those on the most expensive insurance plans, several restrictions on switching will remain in place. First, only those on the standard model of insurance will be able to switch - those already on the cheaper family doctor, HMO, Telmed and hybrid plans will still only be allowed to switch plans at the end of each year.
In addition, it will not be possible to switch freely between insurance companies. Those who want to switch companies or from one discounted plan to another will have to wait until September and October to make the change.