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Health insurance for young adults: how your premium changes at 19 and at 26

Two premium jumps, both on 1 January: what changes at 19 and at 26 for the premium, deductible, retention fee and premium subsidy, and which deadlines you need to meet.

By die-krankenkasse.ch editorial teamPublished on Updated on 11 min read

This page is a translation; the German version is authoritative. Original version: Deutsch

The short answer

Your premium jumps twice, each time on 1 January: in the year you turn 19, from the children’s premium to the premium for young adults, and in the year you turn 26, to the adult premium. In Zurich in 2026, the median rose from CHF 146.80 to CHF 446.10 and then to CHF 580.00 per month (FOPH).

Illustration: two simple bar-shaped birthday candles next to a small stack of coins on a light cake plate

Key points at a glance

  1. What counts is your age on 31 December: children are under 19, young adults are 19 to 25, adults are 26 and over (Art. 16 para. 5 and Art. 16a KVG).
  2. The age group depends on your year of birth, not your birthday; the change always takes place on 1 January (Art. 91 para. 3 KVV).
  3. At 19, the children’s deductible no longer applies: a CHF 300 standard deductible, optional deductibles up to CHF 2,500 and a retention fee of up to CHF 700 apply (Art. 93 and 103 KVV).
  4. Young adults in education or training do not pay a hospital contribution and, on lower and middle incomes, are entitled to a premium subsidy of at least 50 % (Art. 104 para. 2 KVV, Art. 65 para. 1bis KVG).
  5. Premiums 2026, Zurich, median with accident cover: CHF 146.80 (born 2008, CHF 0 deductible), CHF 446.10 (born 2007) and CHF 580.00 (born 2000, each with a CHF 300 deductible).

Two jumps, both on 1 January

Basic health insurance has exactly three age groups: children, young adults and adults. Every insurer must set lower premiums for children and young adults than for adults, and the children’s premium must be lower than the premium for young adults (Art. 61 para. 3 of the Federal Health Insurance Act, KVG). Within the adult group, basic health insurance has no further age bands.

Which group you belong to is determined by your age on 31 December (Art. 16 para. 5 and Art. 16a KVG). Insurers grade premiums by year of birth (Art. 91 para. 3 KVV). Your birthday therefore does not matter: the change always takes place on 1 January.

Age groupAge on 31 DecemberYears of birth in 2026DeductibleMaximum retention fee
Children0 to 182008 to 2026no standard deductible, optional CHF 100 to CHF 600CHF 350
Young adults19 to 252001 to 2007CHF 300, optional up to CHF 2,500CHF 700
Adults26 and over2000 and earlierCHF 300, optional up to CHF 2,500CHF 700

The first jump is the bigger one: at 19, not only does the premium rise, the co-payment also changes. At 26, only the premium rises.

Step by step: preparing for the jump

  1. Read your premium notification. The insurer must notify you of the new premium at least two months before 1 January (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG). In the year before the year you turn 19 or 26, it shows the premium for your new age group.
  2. Choose your deductible. At 19, the children’s deductibles no longer apply. Check in the notification which deductible (Franchise) applies from 1 January. You notify a lower deductible by the last working day in November; you can choose a higher one for 1 January, and the FOPH recommends notifying it by mid-December at the latest.
  3. Compare premiums. Enter your year of birth and your municipality in the premium calculator. The ranking of insurers can change between age groups.
  4. Cancel if you want to switch. Your notice of cancellation must reach the insurer by the last working day in November; in 2026, that is Monday, 30.11.2026. Send it by registered mail by mid-November. The deadline calculator shows the dates, and the cancellation letter provides a template.
  5. Check your premium subsidy. If you are in education or training, the canton must reduce your premium by at least 50 % on lower and middle incomes (Art. 65 para. 1bis KVG). You will find your canton’s rules under Premium subsidy.
  6. Report your education or training. If you are in education or training, tell your insurer. Then the hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day no longer applies (Art. 104 para. 2 KVV).

What the law says

Lower premiums for children and young adults

Art. 61 para. 3 KVG sets the order: the children’s premium is lower than the premium for young adults, and this is lower than the adult premium. Each insurer sets the size of the gaps itself; the Federal Council could set the reductions (Art. 61 para. 3bis KVG). In addition, insurers receive relief for young adults in risk equalisation, amounting to 50 % of the difference between the average costs of all adults and those of young adults (Art. 16a para. 2 KVG). Children are excluded from risk equalisation (Art. 16 para. 5 KVG).

Co-payment: like adults from 19

No standard deductible is charged for children, and the retention fee is capped at half (Art. 64 para. 4 KVG), i.e. at CHF 350 per year (Art. 103 para. 2 KVV). From the year in which you turn 19, the rules for adults apply: a standard deductible of CHF 300 (Art. 103 para. 1 KVV), optional deductibles of CHF 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 (Art. 93 para. 1 KVV) and a 10 % retention fee up to CHF 700 per year. An insurer may offer young adults different deductibles from those for adults (Art. 93 para. 1 KVV).

Hospital contribution and premium subsidy

In hospital, adults pay CHF 15 per day towards the costs of the stay (Art. 104 para. 1 KVV). Children and young adults in education or training are exempt (Art. 104 para. 2 KVV). For the premium subsidy, a minimum reduction of 80 % for children and 50 % for young adults in education or training applies on lower and middle incomes (Art. 65 para. 1bis KVG). From 26, your canton regulates entitlement without a federal minimum rate for the individual premium.

Debts from childhood

Until the end of the month in which a child reaches the age of majority, only the parents owe the premiums and co-payments for that child (Art. 61a para. 1 and Art. 64 para. 1bis KVG). Outstanding amounts from this period do not prevent you from switching insurer at the end of the year (Art. 64a para. 7bis KVG).

Figures: the premium jumps in 2026

The table shows the monthly basic health insurance premiums for 2026 with accident cover in two municipalities: median, lowest and highest offer across all insurers and models. For children, a CHF 0 deductible applies; for young adults and adults, a CHF 300 deductible. Source: FOPH, health insurance premiums 2026.

Premiums 2026 by year of birth, with accident cover
MunicipalityYear of birth (group)MedianRange
Zurich (region 1)2008 (child)CHF 146.80CHF 120.30 to CHF 185.70
Zurich (region 1)2007 (young adult)CHF 446.10CHF 371.20 to CHF 591.00
Zurich (region 1)2000 (adult)CHF 580.00CHF 517.70 to CHF 724.00
Lausanne (region 1)2008 (child)CHF 165.20CHF 132.10 to CHF 201.20
Lausanne (region 1)2007 (young adult)CHF 476.90CHF 412.55 to CHF 648.00
Lausanne (region 1)2000 (adult)CHF 628.50CHF 570.10 to CHF 763.90

In Zurich, the median for people born in 2007 is CHF 299.30 per month higher than for people born in 2008, which is CHF 3,591.60 per year. The second jump, to people born in 2000, is CHF 133.90 per month or CHF 1,606.80 per year. In Lausanne, the figures are CHF 311.70 and CHF 151.60 per month. The medians come from different insurers and models. The FOPH publishes the following year’s premiums at the end of September; until they are released, we calculate with the 2026 premiums.

Sample calculation: deductible at 19

Example with fictitious people. Luca, born in 2007, lives in Zurich and is paying the premium for young adults for the first time in 2026. He compares the median offers with a CHF 300 and a CHF 2,500 deductible. Premiums 2026, Zurich (region 1), with accident cover; source FOPH.

The calculation only shows the break-even point; it is not a recommendation. You can work it out with your own figures in the deductible calculator. For younger siblings who still pay the children’s premium, there is the children’s premium calculator.

Special cases

In education or training up to 25

If you are between 19 and 25 and in education or training, you do not pay a hospital contribution, and the canton must reduce your premium by at least 50 % on lower and middle incomes. Whether the subsidy is based on your own income or on your parents’ income is regulated by the canton. The article Health insurance for students explains what else applies while you study.

Year abroad or language stay

If you go abroad for an exchange year or a language stay, your age group stays the same; your year of birth still counts. The article Year abroad and language stay explains whether you remain insured in Switzerland and what is covered abroad.

Your own policy instead of the family policy

From the month after your 18th birthday, you owe premiums and co-payments yourself (Art. 61a para. 1 and Art. 64 para. 1bis KVG). You do not have to stay with your family’s insurer: you are free to choose your insurer, model and deductible. The article Your first own health insurance explains how to choose your first own health insurance. You will find the insurers’ key figures in the health insurer profiles.

Supplementary insurance

The three age groups of basic health insurance do not apply to supplementary insurance. There, insurers may grade their rates by age or age of entry, and the bands can change at different age limits from those in basic health insurance. The bands that apply are set out in your insurer’s general terms and conditions and rates; what counts is the general terms and conditions and the information from your insurer.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting for your birthday instead of the year of birth. The jump comes on 1 January of the year in which you turn 19 or 26, not on your birthday.
  • Filing the premium notification unread. It is the basis for switching. Your notice of cancellation must reach the insurer by the last working day in November.
  • Still thinking in terms of the children’s deductible. At 19, there is no longer a CHF 0 deductible. The standard deductible is CHF 300, and the retention fee can rise to CHF 700.
  • Not reporting your education or training. If the insurer does not know about it, it may charge the hospital contribution of CHF 15 per day for a hospital stay.
  • Not rechecking your premium subsidy. At 19, the minimum rate changes from 80 % to 50 %, and only applies if you are in education or training. Apply according to your canton’s rules.

You will find all articles on starting adult life in the section Young adults. You can compare the premiums in your municipality in the premium calculator; we explain how we evaluate premiums under How we calculate.

Frequently asked questions

When do I start paying the premium for young adults?

From 1 January of the year in which you turn 19. Your birthday does not matter, only your year of birth: if you were born in 2008, you still pay the children’s premium in 2026 and the premium for young adults from 01.01.2027.

When do I start paying the full adult premium?

From 1 January of the year in which you turn 26. Until the end of the year in which you turn 25, you count as a young adult (Art. 16a KVG). After that, your basic health insurance premium no longer rises because of age.

Can I switch insurer if my premium rises at 19?

Yes, on the ordinary date: the insurer informs you of the new premium in its premium notification, and your notice of cancellation must reach it by the last working day in November (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG). There is no additional right of cancellation because of the age-related jump.

Which deductible do I have from the year I turn 19?

Young adults have the same deductibles as adults: CHF 300 as the standard deductible or CHF 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 as an optional deductible (Art. 93 para. 1 KVV). The children’s deductibles of CHF 0 to CHF 600 no longer apply.

Do I have to pay debts to the health insurer from my childhood?

No. Until the end of the month in which you reach the age of majority, only your parents owe premiums and co-payments for you as a child (Art. 61a para. 1 and Art. 64 para. 1bis KVG). Such arrears do not prevent you from switching insurer at the end of the year either (Art. 64a para. 7bis KVG).

Sources

  1. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 16 and 16aArt. 16 para. 5 and Art. 16a KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  2. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 61Art. 61 paras 3 and 3bis KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  3. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 61aArt. 61a para. 1 KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  4. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 64Art. 64 paras 1bis, 2 and 4 KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  5. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 64aArt. 64a para. 7bis KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  6. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 65Art. 65 para. 1bis KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  7. Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), Art. 7Art. 7 para. 2 KVGfedlex.admin.ch
  8. Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV), Art. 91Art. 91 para. 3 KVVfedlex.admin.ch
  9. Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV), Art. 93 and 94Art. 93 para. 1 and Art. 94 para. 2 KVVfedlex.admin.ch
  10. Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV), Art. 103Art. 103 paras 1 and 2 KVVfedlex.admin.ch
  11. Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV), Art. 104Art. 104 paras 1 and 2 KVVfedlex.admin.ch
  12. FOPH: Health insurance: Premiums and co-paymentbag.admin.ch
  13. FOPH: Health insurance premiums 2026 (opendata.swiss)opendata.swiss

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Status: . The law, the general terms and conditions and the information from your health insurer are authoritative. Report mistakes via Contact; how we work: Editorial team and review process.