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MEDICAL

How the cost of health insurance in Switzerland depends on where you live

With just over a week to go until you can change your health insurance provider, we’ve broken down the regional differences in health insurance costs. Spoiler alert: in some places, you’ll pay more than double.

How the cost of health insurance in Switzerland depends on where you live
Photo: Depositphotos

Health insurance – like pretty much everything else in Switzerland – is expensive.

And unlike wine, restaurant food and cheese, health insurance is compulsory (OK, well cheese might be compulsory in certain settings, depending on the event, the company you keep and of course the cheese). 

But where is it the most expensive – and where is it the cheapest? 

The Swiss Department of Health has released its annual figures on health insurance costs – both for premiums and deductibles – across the country. 

Some are given across an entire canton, while some of the larger cantons are broken up into geographic districts. 

Residents of Switzerland have until the 29th of November to provide their insurer with a notification that you want to cancel your policy. 

Photo: Depositphotos

With each insurer legally obliged to inform you of any cost changes by October 31, you should have already received a letter telling you of any increases.

Estimated increases are approximately 0.2 percent, meaning it makes sense to look around and see if you can save. 

SPONSORED: The trick to saving money on your Swiss health insurance

Pursuant to Swiss law, everyone is required to take out health insurance within three months of arriving in the country – whether by birth or by traditional modes of transport. 

A Swiss health insurance policy will include a monthly premium, as well as a deductible – known in Switzerland as a ‘franchise’. 

What makes health insurance more expensive?

There are a number of factors which increase the cost of your health insurance. 

Demographics are a major one, while population density and access to hospitals will also play a role. 

Choosing a deductible will also make an impact, with a higher deductible meaning a lower premium. You will of course have to pay more in the event of medical treatment, so keep that in mind when making a decision. 

READ MORE: What you need to know before taking out Swiss health insurance

The following figures are for people over the age of 26, with anyone younger than that age eligible for discounted health insurance. 

The most expensive cantons for health insurance in Switzerland (minimum deductible of CHF300)

If you minimise your deductible to CHF300 – meaning of course your premiums will be higher – the most expensive will be in Basel City, where you’ll pay just over CHF450 per month. 

Basel City. High water, high premiums. Image: Depositphotos

Perhaps predictably, Geneva is the next most expensive – with a premium of CHF439 – followed by the southern region of Vaud where you’ll pay CHF415 per month. 

Finally, anyone living that capital lifestyle in the canton of Bern is likely to be paying a capital price, with a monthly sum of CHF413 in the Bern city region. 

Where will my premium be the cheapest in Switzerland? (CHF300 deductible)

When paying the minimum deductible of CHF300, the cheapest by far is in the north eastern canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, where monthly premiums sit at CHF266. 

From there, residents of the tiny canton of Nidwalden pay CHF280 per month, while Lucerne is a tad higher at just over CHF290. 

Appenzell Innerrhoden. Not a high premium in sight. Image: Depositphotos

What about a higher deductible? 

Want to pay less per month but more in the event of health treatment? The maximum deductible you can take is CHF2,500. 

The most expensive are the usual suspects of Basel City (CHF428 per month), Geneva (CHF413) and Neuchâtel (CHF390). 

At the cheaper end of the spectrum, Appenzell Innerrhoden (CHF202), Uri (CHF225) and Nidwalden (CHF226) are again at the top of the list. 

What does the obligatory/compulsory insurance cover? 

It pays for doctor-prescribed medications, treatments, and hospitalisations. But it never covers 100 percent of your expenses. 

Aside from the deductible, you usually pay 10 percent of the cost for your doctor's visits and prescription medications. If you choose a brand drug when a generic alternative is available, that can rise to 20 percent.

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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Taxes to work permits: Who deals with what in Switzerland?

Like other countries, Switzerland too is a bureaucracy, where various government agencies oversee different functions of public and private life.

Taxes to work permits: Who deals with what in Switzerland?

Unless you are a hermit and live off the grid, you will, sooner or later (probably sooner), have to deal with administrative processes of one kind or another.

In this respect, Switzerland is no different from any other nation, with the only difference being that because it is small and well-organised, the bureaucratic machine is running smoother here than elsewhere.

On the plus side, because it is fairly efficient, dealing with various public entities is probably less of a hassle in Switzerland than in less tidy administrations.

If you are a foreigner, especially a newly arrived one, you may not yet be familiar with the workings of various government agencies — in other words, who does what.

The first thing to know is that very few tasks that are likely to affect you personally are done at the federal level; most administrative processes are handled by cantons and municipalities.

These are some of the most important services, and who is responsible for providing them:

Pensions: federal and cantonal

The Federal Department of the Interior regulates and supervises obligatory pension plans, while the Federal Social Insurance Office implements the scheme.

Your pension, however, will be paid by your canton’s social insurance office

Work / residence permits: cantons

Permits are delivered by your canton, though the application procedure is different depending on whether you are an EU / EFTA national or a citizen of a third country.

Cantonal authorities are also responsible for renewing / extending expiring permits.

Taxes: cantons

As the cantonal tax office calculates how much taxes you owe in any given year, your declaration must be sent to cantonal authority

They will collect the cantonal, federal, and municipal taxes, distributing the money proportionally among them.

Driver’s license / car registration: canton

Anything related to driving — tests, licenses, vehicle registrations, and inspections — is the responsibility of cantonal automobile services

Health insurance subsidies:canton

If the monthly premiums of your obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal) exceed 8 percent of your income, then you may qualify for subsidies (premium reductions) from your  canton of residence.

You can apply for them here

READ ALSO: How do I apply for healthcare benefits in Switzerland?

Social aid: canton and municipality

Welfare assistance comes under the responsibility of your canton, which will consider your application and determine if you are eligible for financial help.

However, you should submit your application for assistance to your municipality, which will then transfer it to the cantonal welfare office.

As you can see, most public services are managed by cantons, so you may be wondering what is the role of your local municipality / commune?

They do their share as well.

For instance, they manage a register of residents, organise and maintain their own fire brigades, civil defence units and police forces (the latter two mostly in bigger communes).

They are also responsible for schools on their territories, as well as local energy supplies, municipal roads and parking, waste management, and infrastructure planning and upkeep, among other tasks.

READ ALSO: What exactly does your Swiss commune do?

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