Why is Swiss health insurance so expensive? 2027 explained.

2 min 48 s Published In English Watch on YouTube

Swiss health insurance costs an adult CHF 487.60 a month on average in 2027, up 4.9% (FOPH, 29 September 2026). Here is where the money goes, and the three things you can still change.

Jump to a chapter.

  1. 0:00The 2027 number
  2. 0:13The short answer
  3. 0:30Where your premium goes
  4. 0:46Why your canton matters
  5. 1:07What you cannot change
  6. 1:23Three things you can change
  7. 1:52The trap, on page two
  8. 2:08What to do now
  9. 2:28Your first Swiss insurance review

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Free · 45 minutes · In English · With Robert

The full transcript.

0:00 The 2027 number

Why is Swiss health insurance so expensive? In 2027, an adult pays CHF 487.60 a month on average, 4.9% more.

0:13 The short answer

The short answer: premiums follow the cost of care, and that cost keeps rising. The federal health office names four reasons: more treatments per ill person, medical progress, an ageing population, and higher tariffs.

0:30 Where your premium goes

Where does your premium go? Outpatient care is paid from premiums, with no share from the canton. A hospital stay is split: the canton pays at least 55%, premiums up to 45.

0:46 Why your canton matters

And that cost is pooled canton by canton. In Zug, the average adult premium is CHF 324.90. In Geneva, CHF 610.60. Same federal benefits. The gap reflects how much care people in each canton actually use.

1:07 What you cannot change

What you cannot change is the cover: basic insurance pays for the same care at every insurer, by law. What differs is the price: for the same cover, the dearest adult offer costs four times the cheapest.

1:23 Three things you can change

Three levers move your bill. The deductible: if you rarely need care, the highest, CHF 2,500, can cut the premium by up to about CHF 1,540 a year. The model: family doctor, HMO or Telmed cost less, with the same benefits. And basic and supplementary may sit with different insurers. Most people don't know it's allowed.

1:52 The trap, on page two

The trap we usually catch is on page two of your letter: if your model is retired and you do nothing, you are usually moved to Standard, the most expensive option. That can cost CHF 60 to 150 a month more.

2:08 What to do now

Before 30 November, find four lines on your letter: basic premium, supplementary premium, deductible and model. Compare on priminfo.ch. And if you move, switch basic and keep supplementary, unless a new insurer has accepted you in writing.

2:28 Your first Swiss insurance review

If you'd like someone to read your own contracts with you, book your first Swiss insurance review. It's free, 45 minutes, in English, with Robert or Nicole. The link is in the description.

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