Switching health insurer for 2027: deadline 30 November 2026

The deadlines for basic insurance

You can switch your basic insurance (OKP) with ordinary notice as of 1 January. For 2027, this means: your cancellation must reach your current insurer by Monday, 30 November 2026. What counts is the date of receipt, not the postmark. The FOPH recommends sending your written cancellation by registered mail or “A-Post Plus” no later than 15 November 2026. Your insurer must notify you of the new premium by 31 October 2026 at the latest (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG).

The 30 November deadline applies to every premium notice, whether the premium rises, stays the same or falls (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG): the cancellation must arrive one month before the new premium takes effect. After an increase, this is often called the special cancellation right. One special case widens the window: if you have the standard model with the ordinary deductible (CHF 300, no deductible for children), you can also switch as of 1 July, with three months' notice, i.e. receipt by the end of March (Art. 7 para. 1 KVG).

Step by step to your new insurer

Switching basic insurance is risk-free: every insurer operating in your region must accept you without a health assessment (Art. 5 let. i KVAG), and your cover continues without a gap. Here is how to proceed (all steps also as a checklist):

• Check the new premiums: the 2027 premiums have been published since 29 September 2026, and the easyall calculator already uses them.
• Compare with identical parameters: same deductible, same model, same accident cover. Only then can premiums be compared.
• Review model and deductible too: cost-saving models (family doctor, HMO, Telmed) lower the premium but oblige you to follow the agreed treatment pathway.
• Clarify accident cover: if you are employed for at least 8 hours a week, you are insured against accidents through your employer and can exclude accident cover from your OKP.
• Apply to the new insurer first, then cancel. If you take out insurance via easyall, the cancellation letter is created automatically.
• Check your new policy and keep paying your old insurer's premiums until the end of the year.

Supplementary insurance: the real challenge

Supplementary insurance (VVG) follows a different logic: the insurer may ask health questions, add reservations or reject applications. The golden rule is therefore: only cancel your existing supplementary insurance once you have the new insurer's written confirmation of acceptance.

If you only switch your basic insurance, your current insurer may not force you to cancel the supplementary insurance you have with it as well, and it may not cancel that supplementary insurance solely because you switch insurer (Art. 7 paras. 7 and 8 KVG).

The deadlines are also stricter: at most insurers, the cancellation must arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December. Many products also have minimum terms, often three years. The law does set an upper limit: under revVVG Art. 35a, every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the end of the third year at the latest and annually thereafter, with three months' notice in text form. The general terms and conditions (AVB) of the specific product remain decisive. If the insurer raises the premium of a supplementary insurance, the adjustment letter and the AVB state whether and by when you can cancel because of it.

Allow for lead time: between application and cancellation come the health assessment, the confirmation of acceptance and the 14-day revocation period. If you want to switch on 1 January, ideally submit your application by mid-August. From the beginning of September, the date becomes tight via the normal route.

The most common pitfalls

These mistakes cost the most money or nerves when switching:

• Relying on the postmark: for all deadlines, what counts is when the cancellation reaches the insurer.
• Unpaid premiums: premiums, cost sharing and default interest you received a reminder for by 30 November must be paid, including debt collection costs, by 31 December; otherwise the cancellation has no effect (Art. 64a para. 6 KVG; Art. 105l KVV). Arrears without a reminder do not prevent a switch. Arrears only for your children do not block your own switch, but they do block the children's.
• Supplementary insurance cancelled too early: without a written confirmation of acceptance, you risk being left with no supplementary cover at all.
• Two invoices: double insurance does not exist in basic insurance. If the cancellation arrives too late, the switch does not take place and the old insurer remains responsible (BGE 130 V 448). If you receive invoices from both insurers, clarify the reason at once.
• Wrong start date for the new supplementary policy: if it starts before the old one ends on 31 December, you pay twice in the meantime. The ideal start is 1 January.
• Overlooking commitment periods: some supplementary products bind you for several years, and some products are linked to each other. Always check the AVB before cancelling.

Your timetable for autumn 2026

This is how you get your switch on 1 January 2027 safely through the season:

• By mid-August: submit applications for new supplementary insurance.
• 30 September: last day of receipt for cancelling most supplementary insurance as of 31 December.
• 29 September 2026: the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) published the 2027 premiums. Compare your basic insurance now.
• 31 October 2026: the date by which your insurer must notify you of the 2027 premium (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG).
• October/November: apply for new basic insurance, then cancel the old one.
• Monday, 30 November 2026: last day of receipt for the KVG cancellation. Send it by registered mail, a few days early.
• 1 January 2027: your new cover starts without a gap.

Conclusion: order beats speed

Switching insurer is not a risk if the order is right: for basic insurance, apply first, then cancel; for supplementary insurance, wait for acceptance first, then cancel. With 30 September and 30 November in your calendar, you will not miss anything important. If you would rather not keep everything in your head: the easyall comparison puts cover before price, and easy, our AI guide, answers detailed questions directly from the insurance terms.