Which deductible should you choose: CHF 300 or CHF 2'500?
In Swiss basic insurance, adults choose an annual deductible between CHF 300 and CHF 2'500. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. This guide covers the rule of thumb, the break-even point for your expected medical costs, typical profiles and the most common mistakes.
Which deductible should I choose?
As a rule of thumb: if you expect less than roughly CHF 1'800 to 2'200 of medical costs a year, choose the CHF 2'500 deductible, because the premium saving outweighs the higher own risk. If you are in regular treatment, have a chronic condition or are planning an operation, CHF 300 works out cheaper. The middle levels of CHF 500 to 2'000 rarely pay off. For children, CHF 0 is usually the right choice.
The mechanics in four sentences
The deductible is the amount you pay yourself each calendar year before your health insurer starts paying. You will find the full basics on our deductible page; this guide is about the decision.
- Deductible levels for adults: CHF 300, 500, 1'000, 1'500, 2'000 and 2'500
- Above the deductible you pay a 10 percent out-of-pocket share, capped at CHF 700 a year
- Children have levels from CHF 0 to 600, with the out-of-pocket share capped at CHF 350
- From the 13th week of pregnancy until 8 weeks after the birth, cost sharing is waived
CHF 300 or CHF 2'500, rarely anything in between
The discount logic is capped by law: a health insurer may only grant a limited share of the premium as a discount per deductible level. In practice this means the two extreme levels almost always work out better than the middle ones.
CHF 2'500 for low expected costs
You rarely see a doctor, take no long-term medication and have no planned treatment. The premium saving compared with CHF 300 is around CHF 1'500 to 2'300 a year depending on canton and health insurer, and it is guaranteed whether or not you claim.
CHF 300 for high expected costs
You are in regular treatment, need permanent medication or are planning a procedure. Your costs reliably exceed the break-even point, so the low deductible is cheaper overall despite the higher premium.
Middle levels only as a compromise
CHF 1'000 to 2'000 combine a meaningful own risk with only part of the premium saving. They make sense at most if your costs fluctuate heavily or you cannot carry a high own risk financially.
How to work out your personal threshold
The break-even point is where both deductibles cost the same. You only need two figures: the annual premium difference and the difference between the deductibles.
- 1Calculate the annual premium difference: (premium at CHF 300 minus premium at CHF 2'500) times 12
- 2Note the deductible difference: CHF 2'500 minus CHF 300 gives CHF 2'200 of additional own risk
- 3Estimate your expected medical costs for the coming year realistically
- 4If the expected costs stay below the CHF 300 deductible plus the premium saving, CHF 2'500 is cheaper
Typical situations and what pays off
The right deductible does not depend on your age but on your expected medical costs. These four profiles cover the most common cases.
Healthy and rarely at the doctor
One or two doctor visits a year, no long-term medication. The guaranteed premium saving clearly outweighs the risk. Ideally set the saving aside so the deductible is available if you fall ill.
Chronically ill or in treatment
If you exceed the break-even year after year, the lowest deductible costs less overall. The maximum is also predictable: a CHF 300 deductible plus a maximum CHF 700 out-of-pocket share means at most CHF 1'000 of cost sharing a year.
Family with children
For children, CHF 0 is almost always right, because the discount is small and the out-of-pocket share is capped at CHF 350. The parents' deductible is decided separately. Note that many health insurers charge no or reduced premiums from the third child onwards.
Savers with a financial reserve
If you can cover CHF 2'500 at any time, the highest deductible delivers the largest saving. Combined with an alternative insurance model such as family doctor or Telmed, the premium drops further, with identical statutory benefits.
Five common mistakes when choosing a deductible
Most wrong decisions do not come from bad arithmetic but from wrong assumptions. These five points cost the most money.
- Choosing the deductible once and never reviewing it, although health and premiums change every year
- Forgetting the out-of-pocket share: above the deductible, 10 percent is added, capped at CHF 700 a year
- Choosing a high deductible without having the amount available at all times
- Picking a middle level on gut feeling instead of weighing the premium difference against the own risk
- Optimising only the deductible while leaving the health insurer and insurance model unchanged
Adjusting your deductible, step by step
The deductible is adjusted for 1 January each year. Review the level whenever your situation changes, for example before a planned operation or when regular treatment ends.
- 1
Estimate expected costs
Add up this year's bills and plan in any known treatments for next year.
- 2
Calculate the break-even
Weigh the premium difference against the additional own risk, fastest with the deductible calculator.
- 3
Give notice by 30 November
To lower the deductible or switch health insurer, your notice must arrive by 30 November, ideally by registered letter.
- 4
Compare premiums again
The deductible is only one lever. Review your health insurer and insurance model at the same time, that often achieves more than the deductible alone.
Frequently asked questions about the deductible
Usually CHF 2'500. If your medical costs stay below roughly CHF 1'800 to 2'200 a year, the highest deductible is cheaper, because the premium saving compared with the CHF 300 level is CHF 1'500 to 2'300 a year depending on canton and health insurer.
With regular treatment, a chronic condition or a planned operation. If your costs reliably exceed the break-even point every year, the lowest deductible is cheaper overall.
Above your deductible you pay 10 percent of costs yourself, capped at CHF 700 a year for adults and CHF 350 for children. Once the cap is reached, the health insurer pays everything else.
Compare the annual premium saving with the additional own risk. Moving from CHF 300 to CHF 2'500 raises your maximum own risk by CHF 2'200 a year. If the premium saving is CHF 1'800, the high deductible pays off as long as your medical costs stay below roughly CHF 2'100 a year.
Maternity services carry no cost sharing. From the 13th week of pregnancy until 8 weeks after the birth, the deductible and out-of-pocket share are waived entirely, even for treatments unrelated to the pregnancy.
CHF 0 for most children. Levels run from CHF 0 to 600, but the premium discount is small and a child's out-of-pocket share is capped at CHF 350 a year.
For 1 January each year. To lower the deductible or switch health insurer, your notice must reach the insurer by 30 November; raising it is possible with most insurers until the end of December.
Rarely. The maths usually favours one of the two extremes: CHF 2'500 for low expected costs, CHF 300 for high ones. The middle levels combine a meaningful own risk with only part of the premium saving.
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