CHF 300 or CHF 2,500 deductible?
The question is not “which is cheaper” but “at what level of health costs does it flip”. This guide gives the figure, computed on your municipality’s real premiums.
What the high deductible saves you
CHF 1'540
per year in premium, before any treatment
The break-even point
CHF 2'011
of health costs in the year
Below this amount the high deductible costs you less over the year. Above it, the low deductible takes the lead again.
The detail — Le Mont-sur-Lausanne (VD)
- Minimum deductible · CHF 300
- CHF 570.10 /month at Atupri
- Maximum deductible · CHF 2'500
- CHF 441.80 /month at Atupri
The mechanism, in three sentences
You pay a premium every month, whatever happens. Then, when treated, you pay up to your deductible yourself. Beyond that the insurer reimburses 90 %, and you carry the remaining 10 % as a co-payment, capped at CHF 700 a year for an adult.
A high deductible cuts the premium but raises what you advance. The right choice therefore depends on one thing only: how much health spending you expect this year.
The break-even point
The calculator above takes your municipality’s official premiums, compares the same insurer’s minimum and maximum deductible, and gives you the annual cost level above which the low deductible wins again.
Below that threshold the high deductible costs you less over the year. Above it, the reverse. There is no universal answer: the threshold depends on the premium gap, which varies by insurer and by region.
What the calculation cannot know
- An accident, a pregnancy or an unexpected diagnosis blows the maths apart. A high deductible is a bet on a year without surprises.
- Maternity benefits are exempt from the deductible and the co-payment: a planned pregnancy flips the trade-off entirely.
- You can only lower your deductible on 1 January, by cancelling in time. A choice made in January binds you for twelve months.
The permitted levels
For adults and young adults: CHF 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500. For children: CHF 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600. These levels are set by federal ordinance and no insurer may offer others.