Which deductibles can I choose in Switzerland?

For an adult: 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 or 2,500 francs. For a child up to 18: 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 or 600 francs.

How do I know whether the 2,500 franc deductible pays off?

Work out the annual premium saving between the 300 deductible and the 2,500 one, then divide that saving plus 270 by 0.9. If your health costs for the year stay below that threshold, the high deductible wins.

What is the co-payment, and up to how much?

Once you have reached your deductible, you pay 10% of the remaining costs, up to 700 francs a year for an adult and 350 francs for a child. On top of that come 15 francs for each day in hospital.

By when can I change my deductible?

To lower it, by the last working day of November. To raise it, by the last working day of December. The change takes effect on 1 January.

Heidi › Health insurance

Which deductible should I choose for my Swiss health insurance?

The short answer

There are only two sensible choices: 300 francs if you see a doctor regularly, 2,500 francs if you are in good health. The amounts in between are almost always a losing bet.

The tipping point can be worked out: (annual premium saving + 270) ÷ 0.9. If your health costs for the year stay below that figure, the high deductible wins.

Example: your premium is 420 CHF a month with the 300 deductible, and 295 CHF with the 2,500 one. You save 125 CHF a month, which is 1,500 CHF over the year. The calculation gives (1,500 + 270) ÷ 0.9 = 1,967 CHF. As long as your health costs for the year stay below 1,967 CHF, the 2,500 deductible makes you money. Above that, it costs you.

300to 2,500 CHF

The deductible, for an adult

What you pay yourself before your health insurer reimburses anything.

10%

The co-payment, after that

Capped at 700 CHF a year for an adult, 350 CHF for a child.

The possible amounts

	Adults (from 19)	Children (up to 18)
Standard deductible	300 CHF	0 CHF
Other choices	500 · 1,000 · 1,500 · 2,000 · 2,500 CHF	100 · 200 · 300 · 400 · 500 · 600 CHF
Co-payment	10%, capped at 700 CHF a year	10%, capped at 350 CHF a year
Hospital stay	15 CHF a day, with no cap	Exempt

How it stacks up

You first pay all of your costs, up to the amount of your deductible. Only then does your health insurer step in — but you still keep 10% of the costs, up to 700 francs a year. And if you spend a night in hospital, another 15 francs a day are added on top.

The calculation that settles it

Threshold = (annual premium saving + 270) ÷ 0.9

Below that level of yearly costs, the high deductible wins. Above it, it costs you more.

A concrete example. Your premium is 420 francs a month with a 300 deductible, and 295 francs with a 2,500 one. The annual saving is 1,500 francs.

So the threshold is (1,500 + 270) ÷ 0.9 = 1,967 francs. As long as your health costs for the year stay below that, the 2,500 deductible makes you money.

Your costs for the year	Total cost with 300	Total cost with 2,500	The winner
0 CHF	5,040 CHF	3,540 CHF	2,500 · −1,500
1,000 CHF	5,410 CHF	4,540 CHF	2,500 · −870
2,000 CHF	5,510 CHF	5,540 CHF	300 · −30
5,000 CHF	5,810 CHF	6,290 CHF	300 · −480
10,000 CHF	6,040 CHF	6,740 CHF	300 · −700

Premiums and cost-sharing added up over the year, in the example above. Your own premiums are the ones on your quote: they change with the canton, your age and your health insurer.

What the calculation does not tell you

A high deductible means having 2,500 francs available on the day it lands. An accident in January, and the bill arrives before the premium savings do. If that sum would put you in difficulty, take the low deductible even if the calculation says otherwise.

And the calculation only holds for a year without surprises. A pregnancy, a planned operation or a treatment that starts turns it all around.

Who should take what

Your situation	Deductible we suggest	Why
Young, in good health, no treatment	2,500	The premiums you save almost always come to more than your costs
Regular treatment, long-term medication	300	You reach the deductible every year anyway
Pregnancy planned	300	Maternity benefits are free of cost-sharing, but the rest of the year is not
Operation booked in	300	You will go past the deductible in the first few months
Children	0	A child's deductible is already zero by default, and the premium discount is small
Tight budget	300	Higher premium, but no big unpredictable bill

The trick that makes the difference

Forget the deductibles in between. At 1,000 or 1,500 francs, the premium discount almost never makes up for the extra risk: you take on the risk of the high deductible without getting the saving. In practice, the choice is between 300 and 2,500.

Changing your deductible: the two dates

You want to	Deadline	Takes effect
Lower your deductible	Last working day of November	1^st January
Raise it	Last working day of December	1^st January

The deductible runs for the calendar year and cannot be changed part-way through. It resets to zero every 1^st January: costs from December do not count towards the following year.

The three most common mistakes

Choosing 2,500 without having the money set aside. The saving comes in month by month, the bill comes all at once.
Taking a middle deductible "to be on the safe side". It is the choice that loses on both sides.
Thinking the deductible changes what is covered. It changes nothing: the law sets the same reimbursed care for everyone, at every health insurer.

Which deductible for your age, your canton and your situation?
Heidi does the calculation with your real figures.

Try Heidi

Sources

Written by the Heidi team and updated on 7 November 2026. The deductible amounts, the co-payment and its caps are those in force on that date. The premiums used as an example are illustrative: yours depend on your canton, your age and your health insurer.