Swiss Health Insurance Deductible (Franchise): Which One Should You Choose in 2026?

What is the Franchise (deductible)?

The Franchise is the fixed amount you pay yourself each calendar year for covered treatment — doctor visits, medication, hospital — before your insurer starts paying. Once you reach it, you still pay 10% of any further costs, called the Selbstbehalt (coinsurance), capped at CHF 700 per year for adults. Both reset every 1 January.

Deductible options for 2026

Adults

Set by federal law (Art. 64 KVG), adults can choose:

• CHF 300
• CHF 500
• CHF 1,000
• CHF 1,500
• CHF 2,000
• CHF 2,500

Children (under 18)

Children's tiers run from CHF 0 to CHF 600, with coinsurance capped at CHF 350 per year.

Insurers don't have to offer every tier, but they must always offer the CHF 300 adult / CHF 0 child baseline.

Which deductible saves you the most?

A higher Franchise means a lower monthly premium — but you take on more out-of-pocket risk. The choice comes down to one number: how much you expect to spend on medical care in a year.

The break-even point

The highest tier (CHF 2,500) generally works out cheaper overall if your yearly medical costs stay below roughly CHF 1,800–1,900. Above that, the lowest tier (CHF 300) usually wins. This is a widely used rule of thumb from Swiss comparison analyses; your exact break-even varies slightly by insurer and canton.

Why the middle tiers rarely pay off

For most people, the premium discount on the CHF 500–2,000 tiers doesn't fully offset the extra risk they carry. In practice the real decision is usually between the lowest tier (CHF 300) and the highest (CHF 2,500).

How the deductible and 10% coinsurance work (example)

Say you have a CHF 2,500 deductible and CHF 5,500 of medical bills in a year. You pay the first CHF 2,500 yourself. Of the remaining CHF 3,000, your insurer covers 90% and you pay 10% — that's CHF 300 in coinsurance. Your total out of pocket is CHF 2,800, on top of your monthly premiums. Coinsurance never exceeds CHF 700 in a year.

When can you change your deductible?

Deductible changes always take effect on 1 January. To lower your deductible for the coming year, your insurer must receive your request by 30 November. The same 30 November deadline applies if you want to switch insurer entirely. New for 2026: the deductible no longer applies to certain preventative vaccinations (for example diphtheria, tetanus, pneumococcal and meningitis), though the 10% coinsurance still does.

The deductible is only one of your levers

Because basic coverage is identical everywhere, three things drive your premium: the insurer's price for your canton and region, your deductible, and your insurance model (Standard, family-doctor / Hausarzt, HMO, or Telmed — the alternative models typically cut 10–20% off the Standard premium). Comparing all three together is where the real savings are.

Turning 19 or 26? See how age categories change your premium.

Frequently asked questions