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Free comparison by FinanceRock GmbH. We are not a health insurer and sort by price, never by commission. Disclosure →

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Tool · Deductible calculator

Which deductible pays off for you?

A high deductible pays off as long as your healthcare costs stay below the break-even point. The calculator shows it with your insurer’s 2027 FOPH premiums: the annual cost of each deductible for healthcare costs from CHF 0 to 20,000, plus a recommendation with reasons.

Yes, take CHF 2,500

Where do you live?

The premium depends on where you live and your age.

Year of birth

Four quick questions

Answer from your gut. Your answers stay in your browser.

Do you see a doctor more than 2–3 times a year?

Do you take medication regularly?

Do you have a chronic illness, or is an operation, therapy or birth coming up?

Could you pay CHF 3,200 in one go?

We calculate with around CHF 500 of doctor and medication costs a year.

I know my exact costs

What did doctor, hospital and medication cost last year? It is on your insurer’s statements.

Expected healthcare costs per year in CHF
Refine (optional)Insurer, model, accident cover, current deductible
Accident cover
Health insurer
Model and tariff
Current deductible in CHF (optional)
Example values: enter your place of residence and year of birth.Calculated for Zürich ZH, born 1990.

Is a higher deductible worth it for you?

Yes, take CHF 2,500

You saveCHF 1,360a year

With around CHF 500 of doctor and medication costs a year, you pay CHF 6,556 in total with CHF 2,500 and CHF 7,916 with CHF 300. The lower premium saves you more than you pay yourself in bills.

SLKK · Standard · Basic insurance · with CHF 500 of healthcare costs a year

Compare all insurers with a 2,500 deductible

What you pay in total per year

Premium plus what you pay yourself with around CHF 500 of doctor and medication costs.

  • Deductible CHF 300CHF 7,916
    Premium CHF 7,596+paid yourself CHF 320
  • Deductible CHF 2,500CHF 1,360 cheaperCHF 6,556
    Premium CHF 6,056+paid yourself CHF 500

CHF 2,500 pays off as long as your doctor and medication costs stay below CHF 2,011 a year.

Source: FOPH, health insurance premiums 2027, opendata.swiss; localities © swisstopo; as at 15.10.2026

What if your costs were different?

Tap an amount. In the green zone CHF 2,500 is cheaper, in the grey zone CHF 300.

Threshold: from CHF 2,011 in costs per year the choice flips

CHF 500CHF 2,500 cheaper

The risk, honestly

If you fall ill, you pay up to CHF 3,200 a year yourself.

That is the CHF 2,500 deductible plus at most CHF 700 retention fee (10 % of the bills above the deductible). You should be able to pay this amount at any time.

For pros: all deductibles in detailScenarios, annual costs of every level, break-even and the legal discount limit.
  • With CHF 500 of healthcare costs a year, the CHF 2,500 deductible is the cheapest: CHF 6,556 a year including premium, deductible and retention fee, CHF 1,360 less than with the standard deductible of CHF 300.
  • With this tariff the cheapest is: from CHF 0 to CHF 2,010 the CHF 2,500 deductible, from CHF 2,011 the CHF 300 deductible (healthcare costs per year).
  • The risk: if costs are high, with CHF 2,500 you pay up to CHF 660 more than with CHF 300. If you fall ill, you must be able to pay up to CHF 3,200 a year yourself (deductible plus at most CHF 700 retention fee).

Three scenarios

  • Healthy · CHF 500 costsDeductible 2,500CHF 6,556 a year
  • Medium · CHF 3,000 costsDeductible 300CHF 8,166 a year
  • High · CHF 15,000 costsDeductible 300CHF 8,596 a year
Annual cost per deductiblePremium, deductible and retention fee per year for healthcare costs from CHF 0 to CHF 20,000. Where two lines cross is the break-even point.
6,0007,0008,0009,00005,00010,00015,00020,0003005001,0001,5002,0002,500
Deductible 300Deductible 500Deductible 1,000Deductible 1,500Deductible 2,000Deductible 2,500 (recommended)
Show as table
Annual cost per deductible by healthcare costs
Healthcare costsDeductible 300Deductible 500Deductible 1,000Deductible 1,500Deductible 2,000Deductible 2,500
CHF 0CHF 7,596CHF 7,457CHF 7,106CHF 6,756CHF 6,407CHF 6,056
CHF 500CHF 7,916CHF 7,957CHF 7,606CHF 7,256CHF 6,907CHF 6,556
CHF 1,000CHF 7,966CHF 8,007CHF 8,106CHF 7,756CHF 7,407CHF 7,056
CHF 1,500CHF 8,016CHF 8,057CHF 8,156CHF 8,256CHF 7,907CHF 7,556
CHF 2,000CHF 8,066CHF 8,107CHF 8,206CHF 8,306CHF 8,407CHF 8,056
CHF 2,500CHF 8,116CHF 8,157CHF 8,256CHF 8,356CHF 8,457CHF 8,556
CHF 3,000CHF 8,166CHF 8,207CHF 8,306CHF 8,406CHF 8,507CHF 8,606
CHF 4,000CHF 8,266CHF 8,307CHF 8,406CHF 8,506CHF 8,607CHF 8,706
CHF 5,000CHF 8,366CHF 8,407CHF 8,506CHF 8,606CHF 8,707CHF 8,806
CHF 7,500CHF 8,596CHF 8,657CHF 8,756CHF 8,856CHF 8,957CHF 9,056
CHF 10,000CHF 8,596CHF 8,657CHF 8,806CHF 8,956CHF 9,107CHF 9,256
CHF 15,000CHF 8,596CHF 8,657CHF 8,806CHF 8,956CHF 9,107CHF 9,256
CHF 20,000CHF 8,596CHF 8,657CHF 8,806CHF 8,956CHF 9,107CHF 9,256

Source: FOPH, health insurance premiums 2027, opendata.swiss; localities © swisstopo; as at 15.10.2026

Break-even between neighbouring deductibles

  • 300 ↔ 500: up to CHF 455 of healthcare costs 500 is cheaper, above that 300.
  • 500 ↔ 1,000: up to CHF 889 of healthcare costs 1,000 is cheaper, above that 500.
  • 1,000 ↔ 1,500: up to CHF 1,389 of healthcare costs 1,500 is cheaper, above that 1,000.
  • 1,500 ↔ 2,000: up to CHF 1,888 of healthcare costs 2,000 is cheaper, above that 1,500.
  • 2,000 ↔ 2,500: up to CHF 2,389 of healthcare costs 2,500 is cheaper, above that 2,000.

Discount per deductible and the 70% limit

For a higher deductible the insurer may give at most 70% of the additional risk as a discount (Art. 95 para. 2bis KVV). That is why a high deductible only pays off if your costs stay low.

DeductiblePremium per monthDiscount per yearMaximum allowed
CHF 300CHF 633.00CHF 0–
CHF 500CHF 621.40CHF 139CHF 140
CHF 1,000CHF 592.20CHF 490CHF 490
CHF 1,500CHF 563.00CHF 840CHF 840
CHF 2,000CHF 533.90CHF 1,189CHF 1,190
CHF 2,500CHF 504.70CHF 1,540CHF 1,540

Calculation based on the 2027 premiums approved by the FOPH, as at 15.10.2026, source: FOPH, health insurance premiums, opendata.swiss. Only the insurer’s quote or policy is binding. The recommendation is a calculation, not advice: only you know your healthcare costs.

Change your deductible

When you can change your deductible

  • by 30.11.2026

    Lower deductible from 01.01.2027

    Your notice must reach the insurer by this date; the postmark does not count. Ideally send it by registered mail by 15.11.2026.

    Source: Art. 94 para. 2 KVV; Art. 7 para. 2 KVG

  • by 31.12.2026

    Higher deductible from 01.01.2027

    You choose a higher deductible with effect from the start of the calendar year.

    Source: Art. 94 para. 1 KVV

All deadlines for your situation are in the deadline calculator.

Methodology

How the deductible calculator works

Annual cost = 12 × monthly premium + deductible + 10% retention fee on costs above the deductible, up to CHF 700 (children CHF 350) (Art. 64 KVG, Art. 103 KVV). The premiums are those approved by the FOPH for your municipality, the same as in the premium calculator. The break-even point between two deductibles is the level of healthcare costs at which both cost the same; above it, the lower deductible is cheaper. We do not include the hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day (Art. 104 KVV), as it is the same for every deductible. More under How we calculate.

Frequently asked questions

When does the 2,500 deductible pay off?

The CHF 2,500 deductible pays off if your healthcare costs stay low. The insurer may give at most 70% of the additional risk as a discount, so at most CHF 1,540 a year compared with CHF 300 (Art. 95 para. 2bis KVV). If your insurer gives this maximum discount, the break-even point is around CHF 2,000 of healthcare costs a year; below it, CHF 2,500 is cheaper, above it CHF 300. The calculator above shows the exact figure for your tariff.

What is the deductible in health insurance?

The deductible is the amount you pay yourself towards your healthcare costs each calendar year before basic health insurance pays. After that you pay a 10% retention fee, up to CHF 700 a year, for children up to CHF 350 (Art. 64 para. 2 KVG, Art. 103 paras. 1 and 2 KVV). The standard deductible for adults is CHF 300.

What is the highest deductible in Switzerland?

For adults and young adults the highest deductible is CHF 2,500. You can choose CHF 300 (standard) and CHF 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500. Children have no standard deductible; you can choose CHF 100 to 600 in steps of CHF 100 (Art. 64 para. 4 KVG, Art. 93 KVV).

How does the deductible work in Switzerland?

You choose a deductible for the whole calendar year. The higher it is, the lower your monthly premium. You pay doctors’ bills yourself up to the amount of the deductible, and above it a 10% retention fee up to the cap. Your annual cost is therefore 12 monthly premiums plus deductible plus retention fee. The calculator shows this total for every deductible and every level of healthcare costs.

By when can I change my deductible?

To switch to a lower deductible from 01.01., your notice must reach the insurer by 30.11.2026 (Art. 94 para. 2 KVV with Art. 7 para. 2 KVG). You can choose a higher deductible until 31.12.2026 with effect from 01.01. (Art. 94 para. 1 KVV). You cannot change during the year.

Is the hospital contribution included in the calculation?

No. During a hospital stay you also pay CHF 15 per day (Art. 64 para. 5 KVG, Art. 104 KVV). This contribution depends on the number of days in hospital, not on the deductible, and is the same with every insurer. That is why it does not change the comparison between deductibles.

Sources

  1. FOPH, health insurance premiums 2026 (approved premiums)opendata.swiss
  2. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG)Art. 64fedlex.admin.ch
  3. Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV)Art. 93, 94, 95, 103, 104fedlex.admin.ch