Military insurance

What is military insurance?

Military insurance (MV) is a separate social insurance scheme run by the Confederation. It covers people who serve the state against the health and economic consequences of illness and accidents. Its legal basis is the Federal Act on Military Insurance (MVG). Contrary to what the name suggests, it does not only apply to soldiers.

Under the MVG, those insured include:

• anyone doing compulsory or voluntary military service or civil protection service,
• anyone doing civilian service,
• anyone called up to attend recruitment or medical examinations for the armed forces or civil protection,
• anyone attending an information event under the Armed Forces Act,
• anyone employed by the Confederation as professional military staff, fixed-term military staff, weapons inspector, firing range commander or attendant, military nurse or instructor of the Federal Office for Civil Protection,
• anyone taking part in peacekeeping operations or, as a member of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, in operations of the Confederation,
• anyone doing shooting exercises outside service or voluntary military activities.

During service, military insurance replaces health and accident insurance: it is liable for all damage to physical, mental or psychological health and for its direct economic consequences. Under certain conditions, it also covers damage to teeth and to property. Cover includes the journey to and from service if it is made within a reasonable time.

Military insurance is no longer run by its own federal office. The MVG allows the Federal Council to transfer its management to the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (Suva); the former Federal Office for Military Insurance was dissolved as a result of this transfer.

How it works

During service. If you fall ill or have an accident during service, you report it to the unit or course doctor or, if necessary, to a superior. Military insurance covers the medical treatment. As a rule, you can freely choose your doctor, dentist, chiropractor, pharmacy and medical institution. For inpatient treatment, you are entitled to the general ward of a hospital that has a contract with military insurance, usually the nearest suitable one. If you choose a different hospital or ward without approval, you pay the additional costs, except in an emergency.

Burden of proof in favour of the insured. If damage to health appears during service, military insurance is liable as a rule. It is only released from liability if it proves that the damage certainly existed before service or certainly could not have been caused during service, and that it was certainly not made worse during service. If it can only prove the first point, it is liable for the deterioration.

After service. If damage is only detected after service, military insurance is only liable if it was more likely than not caused or made worse during service, or if it is a late effect or recurrence of insured damage. That is why reporting it during service is so important.

Cash benefits. If you are unable to work because of the damage, military insurance pays a daily allowance. If you are fully unable to work, it is 80% of your insured earnings; if you are partly unable to work, it is correspondingly lower. If military insurance daily allowances coincide with daily allowances under the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), those from military insurance take precedence. The MVG also provides for reintegration benefits, invalidity pensions, compensation for impairment of integrity and survivors’ pensions, as well as compensation for pain and suffering.

And your health insurer? There are two cases:

• Service of up to 60 days: basic health insurance continues as normal and you pay the premium. Military insurance is nevertheless responsible for damage that occurs during service. If it is unclear whether military insurance must pay, your health insurer may pay provisionally and recover the costs from military insurance later.
• Service of more than 60 consecutive days: the requirement to take out health insurance is suspended, for example during basic military training, a long period of civilian service or single-period service. The suspension begins on the day you become subject to military insurance. If you notify your insurer of the service at least eight weeks before it starts, you pay no premium from the start of service. If you notify it later, the insurer stops charging the premium from the next date possible for it, and at the latest eight weeks after your notification. It credits or refunds any premiums you have overpaid.

While you are subject to military insurance, any compulsory accident insurance under the UVG through your employer is also suspended.

Legal basis

The Federal Act on Military Insurance (MVG) governs who is insured, liability and benefits:

• Art. 1a MVG: insured persons, including military service, civil protection service and civilian service, recruitment and federal service as professional or fixed-term military staff.
• Art. 3 MVG: cover extends over the whole period of service and includes the journey there and back. It is suspended while insured persons are in paid work and compulsorily insured under the UVG (para. 2).
• Art. 4–6 MVG: liability for all damage to health; rules on the burden of proof for damage detected during and after service.
• Art. 8, 16 and 17 MVG: types of benefit, medical treatment, free choice of doctor and medical institution, general ward for inpatient treatment.
• Art. 28 MVG: daily allowance of 80% of insured earnings if you are fully unable to work.
• Art. 75 MVG: military insurance daily allowances take precedence over daily allowances under the KVG.
• Art. 81 MVG: the Federal Council can transfer the management of military insurance to Suva.
• Art. 83 MVG: duty to report damage to health on entering service, during service and on leaving service.

The link with health insurance is governed by the KVG. Art. 3 para. 4 KVG suspends the requirement to take out insurance for people who are subject to the MVG for more than 60 consecutive days. Art. 10a of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) sets the start of the suspension on the day you become subject to military insurance, the exemption from premiums if you notify the insurer at least eight weeks in advance, the refund of overpaid premiums and the insurer’s notification to the cantonal office responsible for premium subsidies. Art. 2 para. 1 let. a KVV exempts active and retired professional military staff who are subject to military insurance from the requirement to take out insurance under the KVG; under Art. 2 MVG, they can take out voluntary basic insurance with military insurance once they retire. Art. 112 para. 1 KVV allows the health insurer to pay provisionally if it is unclear whether military insurance must pay. Art. 3 para. 4 of the Accident Insurance Act (UVG) suspends accident insurance while you are subject to military insurance.

Example: no premiums during basic military training

Noah is 20 years old (born in 2006), lives in the city of Zurich (premium region 1) and has the CHF 300 deductible with accident cover. He is doing service from 01.02.2026 to 31.05.2026, i.e. more than 60 consecutive days. The premiums come from the FOPH’s 2026 data (opendata.swiss), the rules from Art. 3 para. 4 KVG and Art. 10a KVV.

If Noah has already used up part of his deductible in 2026, this still counts: the suspension only interrupts the requirement to be insured, not the calendar year. Once his service ends, he is automatically insured with his health insurer again.

What this means for you

1. Check the length of your service. Only service of more than 60 consecutive days leads to a suspension. Shorter refresher courses do not change anything about your health insurance.
2. Notify your insurer early. Your notification should reach your insurer at least eight weeks before your service begins. The responsible office will inform you about the procedure; you have to notify your insurer yourself.
3. Report changes. If your service is shortened or extended, tell your insurer.
4. Report symptoms during service. Military insurance is most clearly liable for damage reported during service. After service, you have to show that a link is likely.
5. Use the fresh start. After a long period of service, it is worth reviewing your deductible, model and accident cover. You can compare premiums in the premium calculator, and the dates for switching are under deadlines.

You can find out how individual insurers accept notifications using the contact details in the health insurer profiles. The entry suspension explains the differences between the UVG and health insurance in the event of an accident; who is exempt from the requirement to take out insurance is explained under exemption.

Common mistakes

• Cancelling your health insurance yourself. Basic health insurance is not cancelled but suspended. It automatically continues after your service.
• Notifying too late. If you miss the eight-week deadline, you may still pay premiums for weeks or months even though you are covered by military insurance.
• Wanting to suspend for short periods of service. Service of up to 60 days does not lead to a suspension; you keep paying the premium.
• Only reporting symptoms after service. In that case, it must be shown that a link with your service is more likely than not.
• Forgetting civilian service. People doing civilian service are also covered by military insurance and can suspend their basic health insurance during long assignments.

We explain how we calculate premium examples under how we calculate.