Health insurance premium subsidies

What federal law guarantees everywhere

Cantons run premium reduction: they decide who qualifies, for how much, and how payment is made. That freedom is why the same income opens an entitlement in one canton and not in its neighbour.

Two floors nevertheless apply across Switzerland. For low- and middle-income households, children’s premiums must be reduced by at least 80 %, and those of young adults in training by at least 50 %. These are minimums: several cantons go further.

In 2024 public authorities paid CHF 6.6 billion under this heading, of which CHF 3.3 billion — 50.6 % — came from the Confederation. This is not marginal support: after premiums themselves, it is the second largest source of health insurance funding.

The 26 cantons, 2024

From one canton to the next the share varies twofold: 43.9 % in Geneva, 20.2 % in Basel-Landschaft. Entitlement depends on the canton, not only on your income.

Premium reduction figures: FOPH health insurance dashboard, federal statistics. They describe the measured past, not your entitlement: that is claimed from your canton.

The 26 cantons

Source: list of competent authorities published by the FOPH on priminfo.admin.ch. All twenty-six addresses were checked individually on 21 August 2026.