Does Swiss health insurance pay for glasses?

What basic health insurance pays

In basic health insurance, glasses and contact lenses are among the medically prescribed aids and appliances (Art. 25 para. 2 let. b of the Federal Health Insurance Act, KVG). What your insurer pays is set out in the Aids and Appliances List, the MiGeL, chapter 25 “Visual aids”. The MiGeL is Annex 2 to the Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV) and is published by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH); this page is based on the edition as of 01.07.2026.

These amounts are maximum reimbursement amounts: your insurer pays the actual costs, but no more than this amount. If the glasses cost more, you pay the difference yourself (Art. 24 KLV). The normal co-payment applies to the part that is reimbursed. The glossary entry contribution towards spectacle lenses and contact lenses explains the list in more detail.

What supplementary insurance pays

For anything basic health insurance does not cover, you need a voluntary supplementary outpatient insurance. It is governed by the Insurance Contract Act (ICA); the law does not prescribe any contribution towards glasses there. Each insurer sets out in its general terms and conditions:

• how much it contributes towards visual aids,
• how often it pays (for example every one, two or three calendar years),
• whether frames count or only lenses,
• whether a prescription from an ophthalmologist is required or a measurement at the optician is enough,
• whether laser eye surgery counts towards the contribution.

Supplementary insurance must not cover the statutory deductible and the retention fee of basic health insurance (Art. 64 para. 8 KVG). It only pays towards the part that basic health insurance does not reimburse at all. We are building a comparison of supplementary products under Supplementary insurance. What counts is always the general terms and conditions and the information from your insurer.

Conditions

• Prescription: For basic health insurance, you need a prescription from an ophthalmologist once a year. An optometrist may carry out follow-up adjustments during the year.
• Supplier: You buy the glasses from an approved supplier, for example an optician’s shop (Art. 20 KLV).
• Frequency: “Per year” means 365 days from the first purchase, not the calendar year. If you buy on 31 October, your insurer pays for the next pair at the earliest for a purchase in November of the following year.
• Deductible and retention fee: The amount reimbursed first counts towards the deductible (Franchise), after which the 10 % retention fee applies. Children have no standard deductible and pay at most CHF 350 in retention fees per year (Art. 103 KVV); however, parents may have chosen an optional deductible of up to CHF 600.
• Other insurance first: If disability insurance is responsible, for example for a congenital disorder, or accident insurance, that insurance settles the claim. Basic health insurance then does not pay anything on top.

Sample calculation

Example with fictitious people and an assumed price for the glasses. Noah is 11 years old. In April 2026, the ophthalmologist prescribes glasses, which cost CHF 420.00 at the optician. His parents chose a deductible of CHF 0 for him. The basic health insurance amounts come from the MiGeL as of 01.07.2026 and from Art. 64 KVG; the supplementary insurance contribution is an assumed contract value.

Whether a supplementary insurance for glasses is worth it is a calculation of premium against contribution: if the supplementary insurance costs more per year than it pays back on average for visual aids, you are better off paying for the glasses yourself. You can compare the basic health insurance premium for your child in the children’s premium calculator; key figures and contact details for the insurers are in the health insurer profiles.

How to proceed

1. Get a prescription: Have your child’s eyesight tested by the ophthalmologist and ask for a prescription for glasses.
2. Submit the invoice with the prescription: Send both to your basic health insurer; under tiers garant (you pay the invoice and claim it back), use the reimbursement claim form. The insurer first checks basic health insurance, then any supplementary insurance.
3. Note the date: The next contribution is possible 365 days after this purchase at the earliest.
4. Check your supplementary insurance: Look up in the general terms and conditions how much the contribution is and how often it applies.

Common mistakes

• Buying without a prescription. Without a prescription from an ophthalmologist, basic health insurance pays nothing, even for children.
• Expecting two pairs of glasses in the same year. Basic health insurance does not pay extra for a spare or sports pair within 365 days.
• Using the price of the glasses as the basis. The insurer calculates with the maximum reimbursement amount of CHF 180.67, not with the shop price.
• Forgetting the deductible. With an optional deductible, the contribution first counts towards the deductible; often nothing is then paid out.
• Assuming adults are excluded. If your eyesight changes because of an illness, a medicine or an operation, basic health insurance also pays for adults. Ask your ophthalmologist whether this applies to you.

You will find other benefits, from the dentist to physiotherapy, in the overview What does health insurance cover?, and terms relating to costs in the glossary.