Premium increase? How to use your special cancellation right

What the special cancellation right under Art. 7 para. 2 KVG allows

With the notice of the new premium, you may cancel your basic insurance, whether the premium rises, stays the same or falls: the law ties the right to the notice, not to an increase. The cancellation takes effect at the end of the month preceding the date on which the new premium takes effect, and it must reach the insurer one month before that date.

In practice, new premiums usually take effect on 1 January: the cancellation then takes effect on 31 December and must reach the insurer by 30 November, so for 2027 by Monday, 30 November 2026. In terms of timing, the special cancellation right therefore practically coincides with the ordinary notice period (receipt by the end of November). What always counts is the date of receipt by the insurer, not the postmark. A registered letter that arrives by the last working day of November at the latest is recommended.

Your insurer must notify you of the new premium approved by the FOPH at least two months in advance and point out your right to switch insurer, so for 1 January 2027 by 31 October 2026 at the latest (Art. 7 para. 2 KVG).

How to proceed after the premium notice

The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) published the 2027 premiums on 29 September 2026; your insurer's premium notice shows your new premium and from when it applies, and therefore by when your cancellation must arrive. The switching season then runs until Monday, 30 November 2026. Here is how to use the window:

• Compare with identical parameters: same deductible, same model, same accident cover. Only then can premiums be compared.
• Bear in mind: by law, basic insurance benefits are identical at every insurer, so comparing premiums in the right model almost always pays off.
• Apply to the new insurer first, then cancel: in basic insurance, insurers are obliged to accept you without a health assessment, and your cover continues without a gap.
• Cancel by registered mail, with receipt by your current insurer by Monday, 30 November 2026.
• Keep paying your current insurer's premiums until the end of the year: amounts you received a reminder for can prevent the switch.

Sample letter: how to word the cancellation

A short letter with your personal details, your policy or insured person number and the cancellation date is sufficient. A possible template:

“Subject: Cancellation of compulsory basic insurance as of [31 December YYYY]. Dear Sir or Madam, I hereby cancel my basic insurance (insured person/policy number: [number]) as of [the last day of the month before the new premium takes effect, usually 31 December]. I am exercising the special cancellation right under Art. 7 para. 2 KVG following the announced premium increase. Please confirm the cancellation to me in writing. Kind regards, [First name Last name], [Address], [Date of birth]”

Send the letter by registered mail. If you switch to a new insurer via easyall, you do not have to draft the letter yourself: the cancellation letter is created automatically with your application.

The most common mistakes

These are the things that most often go wrong in the rush of the switching season:

• Relying on the postmark: what counts is when the cancellation reaches the insurer, not when it was sent.
• Reacting too late: for an increase on 1 January 2027, Monday, 30 November 2026 is the last day of receipt.
• Unpaid premiums: amounts 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. 105l KVV). Arrears only for your children do not block your own switch, but they do block the children's (Art. 64a para. 6 KVG).
• Cancelling supplementary insurance too hastily at the same time: basic and supplementary insurance are separate contracts. Only cancel supplementary insurance once you have the new insurer's written confirmation of acceptance, as there is no obligation to accept there.
• Not completing the cancellation properly: the old insurance only ends with a valid cancellation and once the new insurer has notified it that you are covered without interruption (Art. 7 para. 5 KVG). If you receive invoices from both insurers, clarify the reason at once: double insurance is excluded in basic insurance (BGE 130 V 448).

And for supplementary insurance?

The special cancellation right under Art. 7 para. 2 KVG applies to basic insurance only; a higher basic insurance premium gives no right to cancel your supplementary insurance. If your insurer raises the premium of a supplementary insurance (VVG), the general terms and conditions (AVB) of most insurers also provide a cancellation right, but only for the supplementary insurances that become more expensive. A higher premium because of a new age group usually counts too; whether an increase due to a move or a lost discount counts is set out in your insurer's AVB.

The deadlines are short and differ between insurers; what counts is when the cancellation reaches the insurer. At Assura, Atupri, CONCORDIA, CSS, Sanitas, SWICA and Visana (Visana without guarantee), it must arrive by the end of December; at Groupe Mutuel, innova and Sympany within 30 days of the date of the premium notice; at Helsana also within 30 days, but by the end of November at the latest. Your insurer's AVB and the premium notice are decisive. If you cancel in time, you switch as of 31 December and start the new supplementary insurance on 1 January, without a double premium.

Without a premium increase, ordinary cancellation remains: at most insurers it must arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December, and many products have minimum terms. Once 30 September has passed, the current supplementary insurance usually ends only a year later; the new one then starts on the following 1 January. The legal framework is set by revVVG Art. 35a: every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the end of the third year at the latest and annually thereafter (three months' notice, text form).

With easyall, you first apply for the new supplementary insurance. In the application you state whether and when your insurer raised the premium; we calculate your insurer's deadline and cancel the current supplementary insurance after the new insurer's written acceptance. If the deadline gets tight, you can agree that we cancel right after the acceptance, without waiting for the revocation period.

Alternatives: lowering your premium without switching insurer

Switching is not always the only answer to an increase. Three levers also work with your own insurer:

Whether you switch or adjust: if you take the premium notice seriously and have 30 September (supplementary insurance) and 30 November (basic insurance) in your calendar, you will not miss anything. The easyall comparison calculates with the premiums currently approved by the FOPH.

• Adjust deductible or model: a higher deductible or a cost-saving model (family doctor, HMO, Telmed) lowers the premium. From the standard model you can switch to a cost-saving model at any time (Art. 100 para. 2 KVV); most insurers accept a higher deductible until the end of December. A lower deductible or a model with fewer restrictions, on the other hand, must be reported by the end of November.
• Check accident cover: if you are employed for at least 8 hours a week, you are insured against accidents through your employer (UVG) and can exclude accident cover from your basic insurance.
• Apply for premium subsidies: if your income is lower, you are entitled to an individual premium reduction (IPV); your canton of residence is responsible.