What happens if I do not pay my premium?
The answer
You stay covered for emergency care, but the insurer starts debt collection. In several cantons your name can go on a list that suspends coverage of non-urgent care.
Why
Basic insurance is compulsory: you cannot be excluded from it. The insurer therefore uses debt enforcement to recover what is owed, with the costs that brings.
A debt does not stop you switching insurer for basic cover — the new one must accept you. But the old one keeps its claim, and switching does not erase it. If you can no longer pay, the cantonal premium reduction office is the first place to go.
The other questions
- Which is the cheapest health insurer in Switzerland?
- How much does health insurance cost in Switzerland?
- How much does health insurance cost for a child?
- When can I change health insurer?
- Can a Swiss health insurer refuse you?
- Are the benefits the same at every insurer?
- Which deductible should I choose?
- Does the family doctor model really save money?
- Can I remove accident cover from my health insurance?
- What is the difference between the deductible and the co-payment?
- Why does my neighbour pay less than me?
- Why do premiums rise every year?
- How do I cancel my Swiss health insurance?
- Do I have to insure a newborn, and when?
- How many health insurers are there in Switzerland?
Source: Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), official premiums.