Save on health insurance premiums

Basic insurance is compulsory for everyone living in Switzerland. It is regulated by law and offers all insured persons the same benefits. However, you can actively influence your insurance premium. By making targeted decisions, you can cut costs and save on your health insurance.

Switching health insurance model

The amount of insurance premium depends not only on your place of residence and age, but also on your chosen insurance model. In addition to the BASIS model with free choice of doctor, Helsana offers various alternative models. They each provide an initial fixed point of contact for medical questions. Switching from the BASIS model to one of these alternatives reduces your monthly costs, helping you save on basic insurance. The benefits to which you are entitled remain unchanged. A comparison of health insurance models will help you optimise your health insurance.

Saving with your deductible

Your co-payment under basic insurance consists of the choice of deductible, the legally stipulated excess and the hospital cost contribution. When choosing your deductible, please note the following: the higher the deductible, the lower the monthly insurance premium. The statutory minimum deductible is 300 Francs. Helsana also offers adults five additional deductibles:

For children up to the age of 18, there is no statutory annual deductible. At Helsana, however, parents have the option of increasing their child’s deductible to 500 francs. How to secure an insurance discount:

If you would like to reduce your deductible, please let us know by 30 November at the latest. If you would like to increase your deductible, you have until 31 December. The new deductible takes effect on 1 January the following year. 

Accident coverage provided by your employer

Do you work at least eight hours a week for the same employer? Then you are automatically insured against accidents via their insurance – both at work and in your free time. In this case, please contact us so that we can exclude accident coverage from your basic insurance. This will reduce your insurance premium for basic insurance by up to 7%.

Did you know: when your employment relationship ends, your employer’s accident insurance cover will remain in place for 31 days. If you do not start a new job within this period, you will need to reinstate accident coverage through your health insurance.  

Save on premiums with children’s and young people’s discounts

Children and young adults receive statutory premium discounts for basic insurance. These ease the financial burden on families, regardless of the insurance model they choose. The level of health insurance discount depends on the age of the insured person:

• Children receive a 77% discount until 1 January after reaching the legal age of majority.
• Young adults receive a 20% discount until 1 January following their 25th birthday.

The calculation is based on the regular adult premium and only applies to basic insurance. Are there any other family discounts for health insurance? Only for certain supplementary insurance policies.

Premium reduction

A premium reduction specifically helps people on low incomes to cover the costs of basic insurance. It is a legally regulated discount on health insurance contributions. Anyone receiving a premium reduction only pays part of their monthly insurance premium. The rest is covered by their canton of residence. There is no premium reduction for supplementary insurance. You can apply for an individual premium reduction at the responsible office in your canton.

Supplementary health insurance benefits

Supplementary benefits ensure that people can support themselves if their OASI or DI pension and income are insufficient. They cover housing and living costs, as well as certain healthcare expenses. These include, for example, excesses, deductibles, dental treatment and assistance with day-to-day activities. The reimbursement of certain medical costs often provides significant relief for those affected.

People who are entitled to supplementary benefits receive additional contributions to cover these costs. Applications should be submitted to the responsible cantonal authority. The prerequisites include residency in Switzerland, a modest income and limited assets. Depending on their circumstances, young adults with limited financial resources may also be eligible.

Compared to a premium reduction, supplementary benefits target a different audience and cover a broader range of costs. However, both measures have a similar effect and help save on health insurance premiums.

Supplementary insurance covers certain benefits that are not or only partially paid for under basic insurance. Insurance discounts or policy combinations can significantly influence supplementary insurance premiums. Check the savings opportunities available for supplementary insurance here.

Family discount on supplementary insurance

If several insured persons live together, this has a positive effect on the supplementary insurance premium. Spouses, registered partners and cohabiting partners, as well as parents and children, can bundle their insurance contracts and receive an insurance discount. The level of discount depends on the number of insured persons in the same household:

• 5% discount for two people
• 10% discount for three or more people
• 25% discount with Advocare PLUS or EXTRA for two or more people with the same insurance cover

Supplementary health insurance does not provide a family discount for PREVEA Accident and PREVEA Illness capital insurance policies.

Long-term policy for supplementary insurance

It’s worth taking out a long-term policy for supplementary insurance. When you take out a three-year policy, Helsana gives you a 3% discount on the insurance premium for the following supplementary insurance policies:

• TOP
• SANA
• COMPLETA
• COMPLETA PLUS
• PRIMEO
• HOSPITAL ECO
• HOSPITAL Halbprivat
• HOSPITAL Privat
• HOSPITAL FLEX

Long-term policies represent one of the sustainable savings opportunities for health insurance.

Save with your hospital deductible

You can save on semi-private and private hospital insurance by agreeing an annual deductible. This will allow you to cover part of the costs and reduce your monthly insurance premium: 

This form of co-payment for supplementary insurance is primarily aimed at people with a stable health status and predictable treatment needs. If you would like to reduce or remove your chosen hospital deductible, Helsana will review your current state of health. Depending on the result, it may not be possible to change your contract. It is therefore advisable to make a forward-looking decision – even if your chosen deductible can save you money on supplementary insurance in the long term.

Would you like to increase your hospital deductible? Then let us know by 31 December. The new deductible takes effect on 1 January of the following year. 

Special discounts and packages for insurance premiums

Helsana has developed special discounts and packages for families and specific age groups. These help save money on health insurance and reduce your supplementary insurance premium. Here’s an overview:

• Baby Package taken out before birth: free cover up to the age of 18 with Helsana Advocare PLUS
• BASIS basic insurance for children: 77% discount if you take out the Baby Package before birth
• Advocare PLUS and EXTRA legal expenses insurance: free for children up to the age of 18
• Advocare PLUS and EXTRA for young people (aged 19–25): 50% discount on the premium
• Advocare PLUS and EXTRA for adults (aged 26 and over): 25% partner discount for joint contracts in the same household

These discounts apply automatically as soon as the relevant requirements are met. If you select the right packages early on, you can save on your premium in the long term.

Double insurance occurs when you have multiple policies providing the same benefits. This incurs unnecessary expenses. Are you engaged in military service or spending a lengthy period abroad? Then it’s worth reviewing your insurance policies and, if necessary, suspending your health insurance contributions.

Suspending your health insurance: military service

If you are engaged in military service for more than 60 consecutive days, you are insured directly through the military. Therefore, suspend your basic insurance before beginning service. In order to suspend your insurance, send us your marching orders or confirmation that you have started military service. At the end of your military service, please send us the extract from your military service record as confirmation.

Did you know: exemption from contributions for military service only applies to basic insurance.

Suspending your health insurance: travelling and moving abroad

If you are planning a long trip or studies abroad, check in advance whether you have adequate insurance cover in the country concerned. Check with your university to find out which benefits are covered and whether cover also applies in the event of illness or accident.

The ability to suspend your health insurance due to a stay abroad depends on the type of insurance you have. ((Link: https://www.helsana.ch/en/individuals/knowledge-centre/abroad/pensioners-and-employees-abroad.html)) If you de-register your place of residence in Switzerland and are no longer subject to statutory health insurance, we will have to cancel your basic insurance as of the date of your departure. In this case, it isn’t possible to suspend your basic insurance. If you no longer live in Switzerland and no longer have valid basic insurance, you cannot continue your supplementary insurance either. However, we offer you the option of suspending your insurance for the next three years.