Just a year ago, Alain Berset announced a 6.6 percent increase in the average health insurance premium. Adults pay an average of almost 400 francs per month for insurance.
In fact, premiums rose less strongly, by more than five percent. Because many policyholders decided to change health insurer due to the premium increase. They also opted for cheaper models.
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Here are five tips with which policyholders can quickly save several hundred francs per year with simple tricks on their premium.
- Choose a savings model: The more you limit your choice of doctor, the higher the discount. Managed care models can help prevent unnecessary treatments. With telephone models, if you are sick you first call a call center. Medically trained staff will tell you what to do and whether you need to see a doctor. You can also choose a GP or a group practice (HMO) as your point of contact. If you opt for a free choice of doctor, the premium will be considerably higher.
- Choose a suitable franchise: Anyone who increases their deductible from 300 to 500 to 2,500 francs can save several hundred francs per year. You can check whether the increased risk is worth it for you on the websites of the Internet comparison services. Anyone who increases their deductible must have saved the corresponding amount (up to 2,500 francs) plus the maximum possible deductible of 700 francs. A high deductible is usually only useful for healthy people. Franchises should not be chosen for small children. You are sick too often. If you want to increase your deductible in 2024, you can inform the cash register no later than mid-December. Anyone who opts for a lower deductible must report this earlier.
- Clarify accident coverage: If you work more than eight hours a week for the same employer, you are automatically insured against accidents. You can therefore exclude this coverage from your basic insurance.
- Pay your premium in advance: Anyone who pays the premium annually or semi-annually will receive a discount of up to two percent on the invoice amount, depending on the insurer. However, not all insurers offer this option.
- Make your right to a premium discount clear: People with a low income are entitled to a premium discount in the canton where they live. You can obtain information about this from the social services or from the cantonal compensation offices.
Don’t hesitate to switch insurers if you can save money by doing so: every health insurer must include you in your basic insurance and every health insurer must pay for the same services by law. The registered cancellation must reach the current insurer no later than November 30.
Please note: Have you received a cost voucher from your health insurer for an important treatment? Then don’t change this year. There is no guarantee that the new insurer will share the assessment for cost reimbursement.
It is also worth checking your additional insurance: do you really need it? Which services do you actually claim? And which benefits do you want to claim in the event of illness? Please note: Different rules apply to supplementary insurance. You must have sent the cancellation letter no later than September 30.
However, a change of insurance is not guaranteed: in the field of supplementary insurance, health insurers can decide whether or not to accept a patient. It is therefore worth making this clear in advance and only canceling the additional insurance when you are newly insured. If in doubt, the basic insurance covers everything that is important, you do not need additional insurance.
source: watson
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
