Here's the deal: everyone living in Switzerland must have basic health insurance (called Grundversicherung or LAMal). You have 90 days from your arrival date to sign up — but don't panic, because if you enrol within that window, your coverage is backdated to the day you arrived. So even if you need a doctor in week two, you're covered once you do enrol. The system feels unfamiliar at first, especially if you're coming from a country with public healthcare. In Switzerland, there's no public option — you buy from a private insurer. But the government tightly regulates what basic insurance must cover, so the quality is consistent no matter which company you pick.
What does basic insurance cover?
Basic insurance covers a solid range of essentials: GP and specialist visits, hospital stays, emergency care, maternity care (including prenatal check-ups and delivery), prescription medications from the approved list, physiotherapy when prescribed, and mental health treatment. What it does NOT cover may surprise you: dental care, prescription glasses and contacts, and most complementary therapies like osteopathy or acupuncture are excluded. For those, you'd need supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) — which is optional but worth considering, especially if you have kids who might need braces or if you wear glasses. Note: unlike basic insurance, supplementary insurers can reject you based on pre-existing conditions, so apply early.
How to choose a provider
Here's the good news: all basic insurance plans cover exactly the same services by law. Insurers cannot refuse you, regardless of your age or pre-existing conditions. So the only real differences are the monthly premium and the insurer's customer service. Around 50 insurers offer basic coverage in Switzerland. Compare premiums using the official federal tool at priminfo.admin.ch — it shows every insurer's price for your commune. Popular choices among expats include Helsana, CSS, Swica, Assura, and Sanitas. Assura and Groupe Mutuel tend to have lower premiums; Swica and Helsana are known for better customer service. If you're employed and work more than 8 hours per week, your employer provides mandatory accident insurance (UVG). In that case, you can exclude accident coverage from your health insurance and save around 7–10% on your premium. Just make sure to select "without accident coverage" when signing up.
Insurance models: standard, HMO, and telmed
You can lower your premium further by choosing an alternative insurance model. With a standard (free choice) model, you can see any doctor directly — this is the most flexible but most expensive option. With an HMO model, you must visit a specific group practice first. With a telmed model, you call a medical hotline before seeing any doctor. Both save you 15–30% on premiums. If you're generally healthy and comfortable making a phone call first, telmed is a great way to save money without giving up much.
Deductible (Franchise) and co-pay
When you sign up, you choose an annual deductible — the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in. For adults, the options are CHF 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, or 2,500. For children, the range is CHF 0 to 600. Higher deductible means lower monthly premium. If you're young and healthy and rarely see a doctor, a CHF 2,500 deductible can save you several hundred francs per year. If you have ongoing medical needs or a young family, the CHF 300 deductible gives you peace of mind. After you hit your deductible, you still pay 10% of costs as a co-pay — but this is capped at CHF 700 per year for adults (CHF 350 for children). So your absolute maximum out-of-pocket cost per year is: deductible + CHF 700.
The 90-day deadline
You must enrol within 90 days of arriving in Switzerland. If you sign up within this window, your coverage is backdated to your arrival date — there's no gap. Don't miss this deadline. If you do, the canton will assign you to an insurer (usually not the cheapest one) and may charge a penalty surcharge of up to 50% on your premium for the late period. Coverage also won't be backdated, meaning any medical costs from before your registration date come out of your pocket.
Switching and saving each year
Premiums change every year — sometimes significantly. New rates are published each October and take effect on 1 January. You can switch your basic insurance provider by sending a cancellation letter to your current insurer by 30 November. It's genuinely worth comparing every autumn. Differences between the cheapest and most expensive insurer in the same commune can be several hundred francs per year for identical coverage. Set yourself a calendar reminder for October.