Health insurance deductible: which one pays off?
Updated: 30.10.2026
A higher deductible lowers your premium but costs more when you see a doctor. Which one pays off depends on your yearly medical costs.
The basic rules
- Adults: standard deductible CHF 300, optional deductibles up to CHF 2'500. Children: CHF 0 to 600.
- Above the deductible you pay a 10% co-payment, at most CHF 700 a year for adults.
- You can only change your deductible from the start of a calendar year.
Example with made-up premiums (300: CHF 420/month … 2500: CHF 300/month)
All results are non-binding estimates without guarantee. The statements of your employer, insurer and the authorities prevail.
| Costs CHF 300 – total with deductible 300 | CHF 5'340 |
|---|---|
| Costs CHF 300 – total with deductible 2500 | CHF 3'900 |
| Costs CHF 4'000 – total with deductible 300 | CHF 5'710 |
| Costs CHF 4'000 – total with deductible 2500 | CHF 6'250 |
In this example, people with low costs save with the CHF 2'500 deductible, while people with high costs (chronic illness, pregnancy, therapy) pay less with CHF 300. The premiums are invented purely to show the calculation; find your real ones on priminfo.admin.ch.
A rule of thumb
Look at what you spent in the last two or three years. If your costs are almost always low, a high deductible often pays off, but keep the deductible amount aside as a reserve.