Your 2027 premium has arrived and you are thinking of switching health insurer. You can do so every year. But only one thing matters: the date your letter arrives. Here is the exact timetable, followed by a template letter to copy.
The dates, in order
- 31 October 2026: the last day for your health insurer to tell you your 2027 premium.
- 15 November 2026: the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) advises sending your letter by this day at the latest. It is a Sunday: plan for the week before.
- 30 November 2026: your letter must be received by your current health insurer. This is also the deadline for moving to a lower deductible or for leaving a model with a limited choice of providers.
- 31 December 2026: to move to a higher deductible, notify your insurer in writing by 31 December 2026.
- 1 January 2027: you are insured with your new health insurer.
Source: FOPH, factsheet of 29.09.2026.
Receipt, not postmark
Careful: only the date on which your health insurer receives your letter counts, not the date of the postmark (Priminfo). The FOPH advises sending it by registered post or by A-Plus mail: you keep proof of sending and can track it.
Two steps, not one
Switching health insurer means taking two steps in parallel:
- Cancel your basic insurance, the LAMal (compulsory basic health insurance), with your current health insurer.
- Join the new health insurer, usually with its application form.
Your old insurance only ends once the new health insurer has confirmed to it that you are covered, with no gap. So do not delay joining (FOPH).
What to know before you send it
- No one can turn you down. For basic insurance, a health insurer must accept every new policyholder, with no reservations and no health questionnaire, whatever their age.
- Unpaid premiums block the switch. If you still owe premiums, cost-sharing (deductible and co-payment) or late-payment interest for which you received a reminder by 30 November, or debt collection costs, and they are not settled by 31 December, you cannot switch.
- Supplementary insurance is separate. Cancelling your basic insurance does not cancel your supplementary insurance, and your health insurer cannot cancel it for that reason (FOPH). Its deadlines are usually different: some contracts set a minimum term of several years and six months’ notice (Priminfo). You will find them in your general terms and conditions.
- The new health insurer does not reply? The FOPH advises sending your application again by registered post, stating the deductible you want and the start date.
Source: FOPH, factsheet of 29.09.2026.
Compare first
The FOPH’s official calculator, priminfo.admin.ch, shows all the premiums in your region. The FOPH recommends choosing the insurance model that suits your needs first, then the health insurer. To understand the names of the models, our article on PRAXIS, TEL_DIG, PHARM and FLEX comes out on 9 November.
The template letter
It follows the official model published on Priminfo. The official model is in French, so the letter below is kept in French for you to send as it is. Replace the items in square brackets. An English translation follows.
[First name Last name]
[Street, number]
[Postcode, town]
Numéro d’assuré : [the number on your insurance card][Name of your current health insurer]
[Street, number]
[Postcode, town][Town], le [date]
Envoi recommandé
Résiliation de l’assurance obligatoire des soins (assurance de base)
Madame, Monsieur,
Par la présente, je résilie mon assurance obligatoire des soins avec effet au 31 décembre 2026. Dès le 1er janvier 2027, je serai assuré(e) auprès d’un autre assureur-maladie selon la LAMal.
Je vous remercie de donner suite à ma demande et vous prie de m’envoyer une confirmation écrite.
Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes meilleures salutations.
[Signature]
[First name Last name]
In English, the letter reads: “Registered post. Cancellation of compulsory health insurance (basic insurance). Dear Sir or Madam, I hereby cancel my compulsory health insurance with effect from 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, I will be insured with another health insurer under the LAMal. Thank you for processing my request; please send me written confirmation. Yours faithfully.”
Keep a copy of the letter and the proof of postage.
In short
Compare, join the new health insurer, cancel the old one: three steps, one deadline. Your letter must be received by 30 November at the latest, and the FOPH advises sending it by the 15th at the latest.
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