Children’s premium

What is the children’s premium?

The children’s premium is the monthly contribution for a child’s compulsory basic health insurance. Everyone resident in Switzerland must have basic health insurance, including babies and children. The premium for children is considerably lower than the premium for adults because the law requires it.

The Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) has three age groups: children up to 18, young adults aged 19 to 25 and adults aged 26 and over. Within basic health insurance, the children’s premium must be lower than the young adults’ premium, and that in turn lower than the adults’ premium. How big the gap is, each health insurer decides for itself.

Like every premium, the children’s premium depends on the insurer, place of residence (canton and premium region), insurance model, deductible and accident cover. Children are not insured against accidents through an employer under the Accident Insurance Act (UVG); this is why we always calculate children’s premiums with accident cover. Supplementary insurance for children, for example for orthodontics or for glasses beyond the contribution towards spectacle lenses from basic health insurance, has its own premiums under the Insurance Contract Act (ICA).

How it works

The insurer grades the premium by year of birth. A child born in 2008 still pays the children’s premium in 2026, because it only turns 18 in 2026. From 1 January of the year in which it turns 19, it pays the young adults’ premium, regardless of the birthday.

For a newborn, you have three months to take out basic health insurance. If you register your child in time, cover applies retroactively from birth, and the premium for the month of birth is calculated to the exact day. If you register later, you risk a gap in cover and a premium surcharge. Different rules apply to supplementary insurance; what registering before birth achieves is explained under registration before birth.

The deductible for children is linked to the children’s premium. By law it is CHF 0; an optional level of up to CHF 600 lowers the premium. The retention fee for children is capped at CHF 350 a year.

For people on low and middle incomes, the canton of residence must reduce the children’s premium by at least 80%. Each canton decides for itself who counts as having a low or middle income. Whether you are entitled to a premium subsidy, the responsible office in your canton will tell you.

Legal basis

Art. 61 para. 3 KVG obliges insurers to set a lower premium for children and young adults than for other insured persons; the premium for children must be lower than that for young adults. Under Art. 61 para. 3bis KVG, the Federal Council can set these reductions. Art. 91 para. 3 KVV specifies that grading by age group is based on years of birth.

Art. 3 para. 1 KVG requires a child to be insured within three months of birth; under Art. 5 para. 1 KVG, cover then begins at birth. Art. 65 para. 1bis KVG obliges the cantons to reduce the premiums of children by at least 80% and those of young adults in education or training by at least 50% for people on low and middle incomes.

Example: a family’s premiums in Bern

The Keller family lives in the city of Bern: Mia is 11, her brother Jan is 23, their mother is 36. All have the standard deductible (Mia CHF 0, Jan and their mother CHF 300). The table shows the median monthly premium of all offers: 2026 premiums, municipality of Bern (region 1), with accident cover; source FOPH.

Person	Age group	Lowest	Median	Highest
Mia, born 2015	child	CHF 125.00	CHF 145.90	CHF 189.80
Jan, born 2003	young adult	CHF 391.85	CHF 461.80	CHF 593.00
Mother, born 1990	adult	CHF 545.90	CHF 609.30	CHF 758.90

With an optional deductible, the children’s premium falls further: in Zurich, the 2026 median was CHF 146.80 with a CHF 0 deductible and CHF 114.90 with CHF 600 (source FOPH). You can compare the premiums of all insurers for your child and your municipality in the children’s premium calculator or in the premium calculator.

What this means for you

You do not have to insure your children with your own insurer. So compare the children’s premium separately:

1. Check the children’s premium separately. The insurer with the lowest adult premium is not automatically the one with the lowest children’s premium. The profiles under health insurers show each insurer’s offers.
2. Consider the family cap. The joint cap on co-payment only applies to children with the same insurer. If you have several children with doctor’s bills, this can be worth more than a small difference in premium. What family discounts involve is explained under family discount.
3. Plan for the move at 19. In the year your child turns 19, the premium rises to the young adults’ level. In the Bern example, that would be CHF 315.90 more a month at the median.
4. Apply for a premium subsidy. For people on low and middle incomes, the canton covers at least 80% of the children’s premium. You can find the cantonal rules under premium subsidies.

A notice of cancellation for the following year must reach the insurer by 30 November. All dates are listed under deadlines.

Common mistakes

• Registering a newborn too late. After three months, cover only begins when you register, and the insurer can charge a premium surcharge.
• Calculating with the birthday instead of the year of birth. The young adults’ premium applies from 1 January of the year in which the child turns 19.
• Hoping for a special right to cancel when the age group changes. Moving into the higher age group does not give an extraordinary right to cancel.
• Mixing up basic and supplementary insurance. The low children’s premium applies to basic health insurance. Supplementary insurance has its own tariffs and its own cancellation rules.

How we calculate premiums and medians is explained under how we calculate.