Last update: 17.09.2024 08:33
Premiums for basic insurance will rise particularly sharply in the new year 2023 – by 6.6% on average in Switzerland. Saving money on health insurance is particularly worthwhile this time. That’s why we’re sharing our best tips with you.
How does a change in basic insurance work? We have already compiled all the answers to the most important questions in another article. Today we’re looking at how you can make more of your money by switching. And here they are, our top 10.
Woman look closely
Watch out women!
You pay higher premiums than men in almost all age groups.
As a woman, changing your basic insurance is therefore particularly worthwhile for you.
Choose a suitable insurance model
Most basic insurance plans offer a free choice of doctor as a standard model.
Our tip: Do what most people do: choose a suitable alternative model, i.e. family doctor, HMO or telemedicine.
You can save at least 10 and up to 25 percent.
Optimize your franchise
How much medical costs can you cover yourself per year? You can choose this amount, the so-called deductible, in steps. This is how much you have to pay for your treatment costs yourself. You can choose deductibles of 300, 500, 100, 1500, 2000 or 2500 francs per year. The lower the deductible you choose, the higher your monthly premium will be.
All or nothing: choose the minimum deductible or the maximum deductible. Many people choose the minimum deductible of CHF 300, but this is not always the best choice. A rule of thumb derived from studies says: adults who spend less than CHF 2,000 a year on doctor’s visits, hospital stays, medication, etc. are better off financially with the maximum deductible of CHF 2,500.
If you expect costs of more than CHF 2,000, it’s better to choose the minimum deductible of CHF 300.
If you don’t know how high your costs are, just look them up!
Because once a year, your basic insurance will send you a summary of your medical costs for your tax return 🙂
Avoid double insurance for accident risk
Avoid second accident insurance: if you work more than 8 hours a week for the same employer, you can save on accident cover in your basic insurance. This is because it is already insured through your employer for occupational and non-occupational accidents. This exclusion saves you around 7% on your premium.
Receive discounts for annual premium payments
Ask your new insurance company about discounts if you pay your premiums every six months or annually.
With many insurance companies, this gives you a discount of 0.25 to 2%.
This pays off in several ways: you have less administrative work, don’t forget to pay bills and save money: for a household with several people, this can add up to several hundred francs.
And the insurance company saves effort, which keeps premiums lower.
Not to mention that using less paper also makes ecological sense.
Send your insurance on hiatus during military and civil defense
Your basic insurance also takes a break during military service. While you are doing military, civil defense or civilian service, you are insured with SUVA military insurance. If you serve more than 60 days in a row, you can suspend your health insurance and save on the premium. To do this, send your insurance company your marching orders or confirmation of entry into service and, after your military service, an extract from your service record book.
Cancel premium reduction with the canton
If your income is modest, you are entitled to a premium reduction. This is regulated differently in each canton. How high is the reduction in the premium? This depends on your age, place of residence and income. You must submit the application for a reduction in the following year to the cantonal contact point by the end of the current calendar year. You can check whether a reduction is possible for you with a quick online search. Simply enter “premium reduction [mein Kanton] calculator” in the search engine of your choice. After your application, your canton of residence will check whether you are entitled to a reduction. It can take up to 3 months to do this. If so, it will inform your basic insurance company of the reduced premium. It then has 1 month to adjust the bill. Any premiums that you have paid in excess in the meantime will be credited to your future invoice amounts.
Only use truly independent premium calculators
You can find various health insurance calculators from comparison portals on the Internet. Their business model is based, among other things, on the fact that they receive commission from providers if you find and take out their insurance via the comparison portal. They are therefore anything but independent or neutral. That’s why you should only use the official calculator provided by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). You won’t be sold anything there, just informed. The calculation there is anonymous, independent and free of advertising.
Cancel in good time to save on health insurance
As soon as you have decided on a new basic insurance, you can cancel your old insurance. You can do this even before the new insurer has confirmed your acceptance. Because it has to accept you. Your notice of termination must be received by your previous insurer by November 30 of the current year at the latest.
Dare and do it now
According to surveys, only around 10% of the population change their basic insurance. even though everyone would like to save money on health insurance. I don’t know how much you earn per hour. But I can tell you that few financial optimizers have such a high hourly wage. For a family, a switch can quickly save several hundred francs a year. So our tip: use the premium calculator now, compare and switch.
Summary: Saving money on health insurance is easy
With a little effort, you can quickly save several hundred francs on your basic insurance premium. This is because the benefits are identical for all insurers. To find a cheap insurance company, use the FOPH’s official premium calculator, which is updated every year with the current insurance rates. This way you too can save on health insurance without really having to compromise on benefits.
Mach den ersten Schritt zur finanziellen Unabhängigkeit
In einer Minute siehst du deine Vermögensentwicklung und dein Einkommen während der Rente.
