Cancellation Periods for Health Insurance: What You should Know
There are various reasons why someone might want to change their health insurance. Be it because of rising premiums or for other reasons. However, switching can bring some stumbling blocks if you are not familiar with the applicable cancellation periods and regulations. That’s why we give you an overview of the most important points in this blog post.
Change basic insurance
Basic insurance is a central component of the Swiss healthcare system. In order to save premiums, a model change within the existing health insurance company should first be checked. If you actually want to change health insurance, you have the option of doing so every year for the new calendar year. In this case, the cancellation must be submitted to the previous health insurance company by November 30th at the latest.
Cancellation periods for supplementary insurance
The situation is somewhat different with supplementary insurance. In principle, supplementary insurance can also always be canceled at the end of the calendar year. Since the supplementary insurance has a legally required cancellation period of 30 days, a cancellation should be received by the health insurance company by September 30th at the latest. But there are exceptions: If the insurance premiums change, you have an extraordinary right of termination. The cancellation must then be received by the health insurance company within 30 days of receiving the information about the premium adjustment.
Important tips for changing health insurance
Confirmation: Have every cancellation confirmed in writing. This is for your own safety so that you do not have to pay double premiums unintentionally.
Risks with supplementary insurance: While changing basic insurance is straightforward, changing supplementary insurance can be risky. A new health insurance company could refuse admission. Therefore, you should always wait for a confirmation of acceptance from the new health insurance company before canceling the old one.
Waiting periods: Please note that new waiting periods may apply when changing supplementary insurance. This means that the costs for certain health services will not be covered in the first 6 months after conclusion. This applies in particular to services related to pregnancies, glasses or dental insurance.
Even if you should have missed the deadline this year: A regular check of your insurance coverage and premiums is worthwhile. A change can be commissioned at any time for the next possible cancellation date. Choosing the right supplementary insurance can be complex. Comprehensive advice is very useful in order to find the optimal solution for your needs. Since most new insurance policies for the coming year were recently sent out, now is the ideal time to check your personal insurance situation.
VAG simply 