A Swiss insurance guide
The best private health insurance is the one you qualify for cleanly.
"Private" in Switzerland means supplementary: hospital ward class, doctor choice, worldwide cover — on top of a basic plan that is identical everywhere by law. The flagships are closely matched; your underwriting and the pricing model decide which one is best for you.
Free · 45 minutes · In English · With Robert
Ward class decoded 
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★★★★★
“After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.”
Dragos H. · Google
★★★★★
“Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.”
E. Burke-Murphy · Google
★★★★★
“My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.”
Milad F. · Google
★★★★★
“I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.”
Diana M. · Google
★★★★★
“After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.”
Steven · Google
★★★★★
“Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.”
Zendaya B. · Google
★★★★★
“Working with Ben was great. Very prompt and responsive. Would highly recommend to anyone.”
Michele · Google
★★★★★
“Beide arbeiten Hand in Hand und haben die individuellen Anforderungen unserer Kunden immer im Blick.”
Katharina K. · Google
★★★★★
“After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.”
Dragos H. · Google
★★★★★
“Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.”
E. Burke-Murphy · Google
★★★★★
“My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.”
Milad F. · Google
★★★★★
“I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.”
Diana M. · Google
★★★★★
“After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.”
Steven · Google
★★★★★
“Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.”
Zendaya B. · Google
★★★★★
“Working with Ben was great. Very prompt and responsive. Would highly recommend to anyone.”
Michele · Google
★★★★★
“Beide arbeiten Hand in Hand und haben die individuellen Anforderungen unserer Kunden immer im Blick.”
Katharina K. · Google
★★★★★
“After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.”
Dragos H. · Google
★★★★★
“Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.”
E. Burke-Murphy · Google
★★★★★
“My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.”
Milad F. · Google
★★★★★
“I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.”
Diana M. · Google
★★★★★
“After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.”
Steven · Google
★★★★★
“Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.”
Zendaya B. · Google
Illustrated portraits — households we've advised on health, pension, and the architecture between them.
Direct answer
Short answer
Basic insurance is identical by law at every insurer. "Private health insurance" is what you add on top: hospital ward class, doctor choice, outpatient extras, worldwide cover — medically underwritten, freely priced.
The "best" question is really: which package, which ward class, which pricing model.
The flagships
SWICA Hospita / BestMed, Helsana HOSPITAL Private, Sanitas Hospital Top Liberty are roughly comparable on clinical scope. The differences live in pricing model, clinic networks, and how each handles underwriting.
The window
Supplementary insurance can decline you. Every condition in your history can become a permanent exclusion (Art. 4 VVG). The best private insurance is the one you qualify for cleanly — and that window is open now, not later.
What you're actually buying
Hospital supplementary is the heart of "private" insurance in Switzerland. The product names differ per insurer; the ward classes don't.
General
Basic insurance (KVG)
Semi-private
Supplementary (VVG)
Private
Supplementary (VVG)
The products we actually place
These are the contracts our clients actually hold — most of our 2025/26 hospital-supplementary placements were SWICA and Helsana. Comparable on clinical scope; the differences live in pricing model and clinic networks.
| Product | Ward / room | Geographic scope | Pricing model | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWICA Hospita Semi-Private | 2-bed room, free choice of doctor and hospital | Switzerland | Entry-age lock — premium fixed at signup age | The pragmatic middle for most households |
| SWICA Hospita Private | Single room, chief physician | Switzerland | Entry-age lock | Check the contracted-clinic list for your preferred physician |
| SWICA BestMed (Hospita Private Global) | Single room, chief physician | Worldwide, unlimited | Entry-age lock | SWICA's flagship — the only separately-named worldwide product |
| Helsana HOSPITAL Private | Single room, chief physician | Switzerland + 100% worldwide private built in | Age-banded — premium steps up with age | Widest supplementary range around it |
| Sanitas Hospital Top Liberty | Single room, chief physician | Switzerland + 100% worldwide private built in | Age-banded | Strong for globally mobile professionals |
Clinical scope is comparable across the flagships. Verify current product scope in the policy schedule — and the contracted-clinic network for the physician you actually plan to see.
The lifetime maths
Most Swiss supplementary insurance is age-banded: the premium climbs each year and steps up hard at 40, 50, 55. SWICA prices on entry age instead — the premium locks at the age you join and stays there.
The CHF 210 you pay at 30 is the CHF 210 you pay at 70. That changes the decision in both directions: signing up early compounds in your favour for decades — and joining late is unusually expensive, which is why at 55 with no existing supplementary, SWICA is rarely the right entry. On age-banded products, a semi-private plan that costs CHF 200–280/month at 40 typically runs CHF 500–720/month at 60.
This is the single most underrated input in the "which is best" question — and the reason the same product can be right for your colleague and wrong for you.
The part nobody advertises
Supplementary insurance can say no. The best contract is worthless if you no longer qualify for it.
Basic insurance must accept everyone. Supplementary insurance is medically underwritten under Article 4 VVG: the insurer reviews your health history and can decline the application, exclude specific conditions permanently, or load the premium. Every year you wait is a year in which a diagnosis, a therapy, even a documented consultation can narrow what you can still buy.
The same cliff cuts the other way: switching a functioning supplementary policy triggers fresh underwriting, and conditions that developed since your original signing can be excluded by the new insurer. That's why our most frequent recommendation on this page's topic is "stay with what you have" — and why, if you don't yet hold hospital supplementary, the right time to review it is while your file is clean. If you have a history already, read our pre-existing-conditions guide — there are still moves available.
The contract read
SWICA Completa & BestMed — what the contract actually says.
Robert's full read of SWICA's flagship package: what Completa Top covers outpatient, where BestMed's worldwide-private scope starts and stops, how BonusPlus cashback really works, and where the naming complexity hides traps.
Ward class. Pricing model. Underwriting window. Three decisions, read calmly — since 2017.
Who reads the contract
The useful next step is not another ranking — it's a read of your health file, your canton's clinic networks, and the entry-age maths for your age.
Insurance advisor — health insurance specialist · 20+ years in Swiss insurance
Robert reads the hospital supplementary contracts — ward clauses, contracted-clinic networks, entry-age maths, underwriting questions — before recommending a product or a switch. Free, 45 minutes, in English, with a written summary after the call.
Common questions
What clients say.
4.8 from 55 reviews on GoogleAfter several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.
Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.
My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.
I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.
After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.
Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.
Working with Ben was great. Very prompt and responsive. Would highly recommend to anyone.
Beide arbeiten Hand in Hand und haben die individuellen Anforderungen unserer Kunden immer im Blick.
Forty-five minutes. By video or in our Zürich office. Free.
Or send us a WhatsApp at +41 76 364 88 88
The underwriting window is open while you're healthy. A free 45-minute review tells you which private setup you still qualify for cleanly — ward class, pricing model, timing.
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