Supplementary insurance: what is really worth it? The guide for 2027

Different rules than in basic insurance

Basic insurance (KVG) is compulsory, and by law its benefits are identical at every insurer. Supplementary insurance, by contrast, is governed by the Insurance Contract Act (VVG): it is voluntary and subject to private law. In concrete terms, this means the insurer may ask health questions, add reservations or reject an application altogether. Always answer health questions truthfully: incorrect information can put the contract at risk.

This leads to the most important rule of all: only cancel existing supplementary insurance once you have the new insurer's written confirmation of acceptance. You can switch basic insurance without hesitation, on the other hand: insurers are obliged to accept you, and your cover continues without a gap.

The four main areas at a glance

Supplementary insurance essentially covers four areas, with very different benefit profiles:

• Outpatient supplements: contributions to glasses and contact lenses (typically CHF 100–300 a year, depending on the product), gym memberships and check-ups, often together with considerably better cover for emergencies abroad and for rescue and transport.
• Hospital supplements: “general ward, whole of Switzerland” (free choice of hospital), semi-private (two-bed room, senior physician) or private (single room, head physician). Flex models only let you choose the ward when you are admitted to hospital, for a surcharge per stay.
• Dental insurance: usually a percentage contribution up to an annual maximum. Basic insurance only pays for dental treatment in the event of an accident, a severe, unavoidable disease of the masticatory system or a severe general illness (Art. 31 KVG), not for check-ups, fillings or braces.
• Complementary medicine: complementary treatment by non-medical therapists (e.g. naturopathy, osteopathy), usually as a percentage, with an annual limit and lists of recognised therapists.

What is often worth it

Whether a supplement is worth it depends less on the product than on your situation in life. Experience shows that the premium is well invested in these situations:

• Children: register supplementary insurance before the birth if possible, as there is then no health assessment. Dental insurance for your child is worth it before orthodontic treatment is needed, because basic insurance does not pay for braces.
• Travel outside Europe: in countries with high healthcare costs (USA, Canada, Japan, Australia), basic insurance covers at most twice the Swiss tariff, which is often not enough there. Many outpatient supplements already include cover abroad.
• Rescue and transport: basic insurance only pays 50% of rescue costs in Switzerland, up to a maximum of CHF 5'000 a year. Many outpatient supplements cover rescue and repatriation from abroad without limit.
• Free choice of hospital: “general ward, whole of Switzerland” is the often underestimated entry-level hospital supplement. Without it, basic insurance only pays the reference tariff for elective treatment outside your canton of residence, and you bear any additional costs.
• Complementary medicine: if you regularly use complementary treatment by non-medical therapists, the percentage contributions often recoup the premium. Check the annual limit and the list of therapists beforehand.

Where you should do the maths critically

On the other hand, be honest in your calculations. Compare the annual premium with the benefits you actually claimed last year. Small contributions to fitness or glasses on their own rarely justify a high premium; what matters is the overall package of benefits you really use.

Also pay attention to the small print: some products have waiting periods (common with dental insurance), with hospital supplements an optional cost sharing lowers the premium, and at some insurers products are linked, so cancelling the hospital cover there can also terminate other supplements at the same time. The general terms and conditions (AVB) of the specific product are always decisive.

That is why you should compare the benefits first and only then the price: two products with a similar premium can have completely different limits. The easyall comparison deliberately starts with the benefits.

Deadlines for switching on 1 January 2027

Supplementary insurance has its own deadlines, considerably earlier than those for basic insurance. If you want to switch on 1 January 2027, you need to act before the autumn:

• Check the minimum term: many products bind you for 3 years, others for only 1 year. Statutory upper limit (revVVG Art. 35a): every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the end of the 3rd contract year at the latest and annually thereafter, with 3 months' notice, in text form.
• Cancellation date: at most insurers, supplementary insurance ends on 31 December; the cancellation must reach your current insurer by 30 September. What counts is the date of receipt, not the postmark.
• Working backwards: apply, wait for the confirmation of acceptance, let the 14-day revocation period pass, and only then cancel. Ideally, therefore, submit your application by mid-August. (If you apply via easyall, the cancellation letter is created automatically.)
• Note the premium year: the 2027 basic insurance premiums have been published since 29 September 2026. You can therefore already compare your basic insurance (cancellation by the end of November) with the new figures; for the supplement, the deadlines of your product apply.
• Read the autumn letters: if your current insurer raises the premium of your supplementary insurance, you may have an extraordinary right of cancellation.
• Ideal start of the new policy: 1 January. If it starts earlier, two supplementary premiums run in parallel for a transitional period.

Checklist: five steps to a decision

This is how to approach the supplementary insurance check in practice:

• Take stock: which supplements do you have, what do they cost a year, and what benefits have you actually claimed from them?
• Clarify your needs: children (dental!), travel outside Europe, free choice of hospital, complementary medicine.
• Compare benefits, then price: check limits, waiting periods and cost sharing in the AVB.
• Submit your application by mid-August and answer the health questions truthfully.
• Only cancel your old supplementary insurance after the written confirmation of acceptance, with receipt by the insurer by 30 September.