How Do I Find the Best Health Insurance?

The selection of Swiss health insurance offers is huge. This moneyland.ch guide tells you how you can choose the health insurance that best suits your needs.

The premiums charged for mandatory health insurance are a major drain on many Swiss households. It is not surprising then, that finding the right health insurance is a priority for many people. But how can you know which insurance is best for you?

Basic Swiss health insurance is compulsory for all residents. Mandatory health insurance providers are required to accept all residents. The insurance benefits are also dictated by law, which means all mandatory health insurance offers are identical in terms of the medical cover they provide.

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Although acceptance and benefits are laid out in the law, there are still big differences between Swiss mandatory health insurance providers. Currently, 39 different insurance companies offer mandatory health insurance. What is more, the same insurance provider may offer many different managed care and deductible models.

When choosing a health insurance provider, many consumers primarily look at the price tags. But there are many other aspects that can also play a role in determining which insurance best suits your needs.

Which insurance model and deductible is right for me?

The premium for the same insurance can vary depending on your age and your place of residence. Mandatory health insurance premiums are based on 42 different “premium regions” and three different age groups, which are dictated by law and are identical across all Swiss mandatory health insurance providers.

While your age and which premium region you live in has a big impact on the cost of insurance, there is little or nothing you can do to change those factors. That means your possibilities for optimizing your health insurance are limited to choosing the right insurance model, and choosing the right deductible.

Most health insurance providers offer similar insurance models, so it can be beneficial to first choose your preferred health insurance model and your preferred deductible. You can then compare all offers that match your preferences.

You can find more information in the moneyland.ch guides to insurance models and deductible models for Swiss compulsory health insurance.

Tip: If you already have accident insurance from your Swiss employer or a Swiss unemployment insurance office, you can exclude the accident insurance cover from your mandatory health insurance to lower the cost. If you are employed by a Swiss employer on at least a 20-percent basis, then you will normally be subscribed to your employer’s accident insurance for both occupational and non-occupational accidents.

Which costs does mandatory health insurance cover?

All mandatory health insurance offers include the same identical cover for medical expenses. This cover includes all medically necessary treatments for illnesses, accidents, and maternity in Switzerland. The accident cover included in mandatory health insurance only applies if you do not have a separate, equivalent accident insurance (from your employer, for example).

In addition to the standard health insurance model, insurance providers can choose to offer managed care models with additional requirements. These models require you to visit a certain general practitioner or HMO center, or to contact a telemedicine hotline, before you receive further treatment. Additionally, you may not be free to choose which doctors or specialists you want to receive further treatment from.

Not all healthcare expenses are covered by mandatory health insurance. Dental work, for example, is only covered if the problems occur as the result of accidents or illnesses.

What is supplemental health insurance?

Although mandatory Swiss health insurance covers all necessary medical expenses in Switzerland, some consumers choose to get additional health insurance to complement their mandatory insurance. There are also consumers who deliberately choose to stick with mandatory health insurance only. Whether or not getting supplemental health insurance makes sense for you depends on your individual needs and wants.

Complementary insurance types that are widely offered by Swiss insurance providers include supplemental hospital insurance, dental insurance, and supplemental outpatient insurance. The last often includes cover for alternative medicine and gym memberships, among other things.

A common question when changing health insurance providers is whether or not it makes sense to use the same insurance provider for both your mandatory and supplementary health insurance offers. It is perfectly possible to use different insurance providers for your mandatory health insurance and for various supplemental health insurance offers. Your health insurance provider cannot terminate your supplemental health insurance policies just because you choose to get mandatory health insurance from a different insurer. But you should be aware that having to send medical bills to two or more different health insurance providers does create more work for you.

There are a number of things to pay attention to when changing your supplemental health insurance. Unlike mandatory health insurance, insurance companies are not required to accept your applications for supplemental health insurance. The insurer can choose to reject your application, or make special exclusions. It is very important that you wait until the new insurance provider accepts your application before you give notice to terminate your existing supplemental health insurance. Most insurance providers require you to give notice that you want to terminate your policy by the end of September. Some require you to give notice by the end of July. You can also terminate your supplemental health insurance early if your insurance premiums go up.

How good is the customer service?

There are big differences between insurance providers when it comes to customer service. A lot depends on your specific needs and preferences. For example, some people want to be able to communicate in person at a branch office, while other people prioritize a good mobile app. Other important aspects to consider include the hours during which customer service is available, and how long you have to wait before insurance benefits are paid out.

The health insurance customer satisfaction survey by moneyland.ch reveals the satisfaction with different aspects of customer service across Swiss health insurance providers. There are clear differences between insurance companies, with the best-rated insurer receiving a rating of 8 out of 10 points, compared to 7 out of 10 points for the health insurance provider with the lowest customer satisfaction ratings.

More on this topic:
Unbiased comparison of Swiss health insurance providers
How to terminate a health insurance policy
Outpatient insurance policies compared
Hospital insurance policies compared