Hospital insurance: general ward, semi-private or private?

What basic insurance covers in hospital

Compulsory basic insurance (OKP) covers hospital stays in the general ward of a listed hospital, as a rule in your canton of residence. If you choose to be treated in a hospital outside your canton of residence without medical necessity, the OKP pays at most the tariff that would apply in your canton of residence (reference tariff); you bear the additional costs yourself. In emergencies or where there is a medical necessity, on the other hand, the OKP pays in full.

On top of this comes the usual cost sharing: deductible, 10% co-payment (max. CHF 700 a year for adults) and a contribution of CHF 15 per day in hospital for adults. Comfort benefits such as the choice of room or doctor are not part of the OKP, and this is exactly where hospital supplements come in.

The three levels at a glance

Supplementary hospital insurance extends your freedom of choice in hospital in three levels:

Which benefits are insured in detail, such as hospital lists or cover abroad, is set out in the insurance terms (AVB) of the product in question. That is why you should compare the cover first and only then the premium. The easyall comparison is built exactly this way: cover first, and easy, our AI guide, can look up details directly in the terms.

• General ward, whole of Switzerland: free choice of hospital throughout Switzerland, still in the general ward. Closes the reference tariff gap for elective treatment outside your canton; the entry level.
• Semi-private: two-bed room and treatment by a senior physician, with free choice of hospital.
• Private: single room and treatment by the head physician; the greatest freedom of choice and, accordingly, a higher premium.

Flex models and cost sharing: two ways to save

If semi-private or private cover is too expensive for you, you do not have to do without it entirely:

Flex models suit people who mainly want to keep the option open. If you want the comfort for certain and expect hospital stays more often, fixed cover is usually easier to plan.

• Flex models: you only decide which ward you want when you are admitted to hospital, for a surcharge per stay. The ongoing premium remains considerably lower than with fixed semi-private or private cover.
• Optional cost sharing: many products offer an optional cost sharing per stay, which noticeably lowers the premium.

Health assessment: timing is decisive

Hospital supplements are supplementary insurance under the VVG: voluntary and subject to private law. The insurer may ask health questions, add reservations or reject an application. Answer the questions completely and truthfully: incorrect information can put the contract at risk.

This leads to three practical rules: first, it pays to take out cover while you are young and healthy. Second, restrictions often apply during an ongoing pregnancy, so if you would like to spend the postnatal period in the semi-private or private ward, ideally take out the hospital supplement before the pregnancy. Third, you can register your child for supplementary insurance before birth, in which case there is no health assessment at all.

Switching and cancelling: these deadlines apply

Hospital supplements have minimum terms, usually 1 or 3 years depending on the insurer. The legal framework is set by revVVG Art. 35a: every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the end of the 3rd insurance year at the latest and annually thereafter, with 3 months' notice in text form. At most insurers this means the cancellation must arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December. The AVB of your product are always decisive.

The golden rule when switching: only cancel your existing hospital insurance once you have the new insurer's written confirmation of acceptance, otherwise you risk being left without cover. Because the 14-day revocation period still runs after acceptance, the new application should ideally be submitted by mid-August if the switch is to work on 1 January.

For context: the 2027 basic insurance premiums have been published since 29 September 2026; for supplementary insurance, the comparison shows the insurers' currently valid tariffs. If your current insurer raises the premium of your supplementary insurance, this often gives rise to an extraordinary right of cancellation, so look out for your insurer's autumn letters. If you take out insurance via easyall, the cancellation letter is created automatically.

Checklist: how to proceed

With these steps you can make a well-founded choice, without a gap in cover and without paying two premiums:

• Clarify your needs: is free choice of hospital (general ward, whole of Switzerland) enough for you, or do you want comfort and a choice of doctor (semi-private/private)?
• Compare cover before premium: check the hospital list, cover abroad and any waiting periods in the AVB.
• Work through the ways to save: a flex model or optional cost sharing instead of doing without entirely.
• Act early: ideally submit your application for a start on 1 January by mid-August.
• Answer the health questions completely and truthfully.
• Only cancel your old supplementary insurance after the written confirmation of acceptance, with arrival by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December.
• If you are planning a family: register your child for supplementary insurance before birth, without a health assessment.