Lowering child premiums: deductible, model and family discount

How the child premium is calculated

The child premium is the basic health insurance premium for children up to the end of the year in which they turn 18; the year of birth is decisive (Art. 91 para. 3 KVV). Every insurer must set it lower than the premium for young adults and adults (Art. 61 para. 3 KVG). Within the same region and age group, an insurer charges all children the same premium (Art. 61 para. 1 KVG); health and sex play no role.

What you can influence are five levers:

Accident cover is not a lever: it may only be suspended for people who are fully insured on a compulsory basis under the Accident Insurance Act (Art. 8 para. 1 KVG). Children without an employment relationship keep it.

Levers 1 and 2: insurer and model

The benefits of basic health insurance are the same with every insurer. Even so, child premiums vary widely. 2026 premiums, municipality of Zurich (region 1), children (all years of birth 2008 to 2026), with accident cover; source FOPH:

From the median in the standard model (CHF 156.30) to the lowest GP or HMO offer (CHF 120.30), the difference with a CHF 0 deductible is CHF 36.00 per month, CHF 432 per year and child.

In alternative insurance models you first go to an agreed point of contact, such as the paediatric practice in the network or a telephone advice service (Art. 41 para. 4 KVG). The benefits stay the same; the insurer may only lower the premium by cost differences that result from the model (Art. 101 para. 2 KVV). Before switching, check whether your paediatrician is on the model’s list and how emergencies are handled. The model finder helps you work out which model suits your family.

Lever 3: the child deductible

There is no standard deductible for children (Art. 64 para. 4 KVG). You can choose a child deductible of CHF 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 or 600 (Art. 93 para. 1 KVV); not every insurer offers all levels. On top of that comes a 10 % retention fee, at most CHF 350 per year (Art. 103 para. 2 KVV). Children do not pay a hospital contribution (Art. 104 para. 2 let. a KVV).

The premium saving is limited by law: an insurer may lower the premium per year by at most 70 % of the risk you take on with the higher deductible (Art. 95 para. 2bis KVV). With a CHF 600 deductible, that is at most CHF 420 per year, CHF 35 per month.

With the lowest offers from the table above, a CHF 0 deductible costs exactly CHF 35.00 more per month than CHF 600, i.e. CHF 420 per year. With costs up to CHF 600, you pay everything yourself with a CHF 600 deductible, and only the 10 % retention fee with a CHF 0 deductible. The difference is 90 % of the costs. It exceeds the CHF 420 in additional premium from CHF 467 in costs per year. Above CHF 600 in costs, the difference stays at CHF 540 until the retention fee reaches its cap. In the median comparison (CHF 146.80 and CHF 114.90), the break-even point lies at CHF 426.

You can only choose a higher deductible with effect from 1 January (Art. 94 para. 1 KVV); your insurer must receive the request by the end of the year. A lower deductible requires the same deadline as switching insurer: it must arrive by 30 November (Art. 94 para. 2 KVV). The dates are listed under Deadlines.

Lever 4: siblings with the same insurer

The law does not require a family discount in basic health insurance. It does, however, limit the co-payment when several children from one family are insured with the same insurer:

• Without an optional deductible (CHF 0): All children together pay at most the co-payment of one adult (Art. 64 para. 4 KVG), i.e. at most CHF 700 retention fee per year instead of CHF 350 per child.
• With an optional deductible: The co-payment of all children together may not exceed twice the maximum amount per child (Art. 93 para. 3 KVV). With a CHF 600 deductible, that is 2 × CHF 950 = CHF 1,900. If the children have different deductibles, the insurer sets the cap.

This does not lower the premium itself. From two children with high costs, however, the cap can bring more than a slightly cheaper insurer for one of the children. Until the child comes of age, only the parents owe the child’s co-payment (Art. 64 para. 1bis KVG).

Lever 5: premium subsidies

For households with lower and middle incomes, the cantons reduce children’s premiums by at least 80 % (Art. 65 para. 1bis KVG). Each canton decides who is entitled, where the income limit lies and whether you have to apply. After a birth, a change of job or a separation, it is worth checking your entitlement again. You will find your canton’s rules under Premium subsidies, and the procedure in the article Applying for premium subsidies.

Step by step to lower child premiums

1. Read the premium letter. Your insurer must notify you of the new premiums at least two months in advance (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG). The FOPH publishes the following year’s premiums at the end of September.
2. Compare offers. In the premium calculator, compare the child premiums in your municipality, separated by model and deductible.
3. Check the model conditions. Is your paediatric practice on the list for the chosen model?
4. Calculate the deductible. Estimate your child’s costs in the past year and work out the break-even point.
5. Group siblings together. Check whether all children can use the cap with the same insurer.
6. Cancel or register. The notice of cancellation of basic health insurance must arrive by 30 November; send it by registered mail by mid-November. You create the letter with the cancellation letter generator.
7. Check premium subsidies. Apply for them if your canton requires an application.

Sample calculation: two children in Zurich

Example with fictitious people. Sandra and Luca live in Zurich. Their children Mia (6) and Noah (9) are insured in the standard model with a CHF 0 deductible, at a premium equal to the median of CHF 156.30 per child and month. The basis is the 2026 premiums, municipality of Zurich (region 1), children, with accident cover; source FOPH.

The figures show where the levers lie, not which option is right for your family. If the family is entitled to premium subsidies, the premium falls by at least a further 80 %.

Special cases

Newborns

The same child premium applies to a newborn. You can register your baby before the birth or within three months afterwards and choose the insurer freely; registration is the first opportunity to choose the model and deductible deliberately. The article Insuring your baby shows the procedure.

Moving up to young adults

From the year after their 18th birthday, the child pays the premium for young adults, and the adult deductible applies: CHF 300 as standard, up to CHF 2,500 as an option (Art. 93 para. 1 and 103 para. 1 KVV). The cap for siblings then no longer applies to this child. The change of age group does not give an extraordinary right to cancel; the normal deadlines apply.

Child with a congenital disorder

For recognised congenital disorders, invalidity insurance pays for medical measures up to the age of 20, without any co-payment to the health insurer. The article Congenital disorders and invalidity insurance explains which costs then still go through basic health insurance and what that means for choosing the child deductible.

Supplementary insurance

Discounts for families exist mainly in supplementary insurance, according to the insurer’s conditions. If you cancel basic health insurance, the insurer may not cancel your supplementary insurance for that reason (Art. 7 para. 8 KVG). The article Dental insurance for children shows what dental insurance for a child costs and what it covers.

Common mistakes

• Automatically leaving children with the parents’ insurer. The parents’ insurer is not automatically cheap for children. Compare each family member individually and the family as a whole.
• Choosing the CHF 600 deductible without doing the maths. From CHF 426 to CHF 467 in costs per year (Zurich 2026), a CHF 0 deductible is cheaper.
• Giving away the sibling cap. It only applies if the children are with the same insurer.
• Not applying for premium subsidies. In some cantons, they are only granted on application and with a deadline.
• Missing the notice period. The notice of cancellation must be with your insurer on 30 November, not just sent.

You will find all topics for families in the Family and children section. Key figures and contact details for the insurers are in the health insurer profiles.