# Gym membership and health insurance: who pays towards training? > Does health insurance pay for your gym membership? Basic insurance doesn't — many outpatient supplementary plans do. Conditions, deadlines and checklist. Source: https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/fitnessabo-krankenkasse Updated: 2026-11-11 Regular exercise is one of the simplest forms of preventive healthcare — but compulsory basic insurance does not contribute to the cost of a gym membership. Contributions towards gym memberships, sports courses or check-ups are typical benefits of outpatient supplementary insurance. This guide shows how these contributions work, when a supplement really pays off and which deadlines apply when you take one out or switch. ## Why basic insurance doesn't pay for your gym membership Basic insurance (OKP) covers the same legally defined benefits at every insurer: medical treatment, hospital stays in the general ward, medicines covered by basic insurance, maternity benefits and emergencies. It only contributes to individual preventive services — the gym membership, the sports course or the voluntary check-up are not among them. This is not an oversight by your insurer: what basic insurance pays for is laid down by law and identical everywhere. Everyday health promotion, on the other hand, is the classic domain of voluntary [supplementary insurance](https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/zusatzversicherung-lohnt-sich). ## Fitness contributions: a typical benefit of outpatient supplements Supplementary insurance is governed by the Insurance Contract Act (VVG) and is voluntary and subject to private law. Typical areas are outpatient supplements, [hospital supplements](https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/spitalversicherung-vergleich), dental and [alternative medicine](https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/komplementaermedizin-krankenkasse) — and contributions towards gym memberships, sports courses or check-ups are among the typical benefits of outpatient supplements, as are contributions towards [vision aids for adults](https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/brille-kontaktlinsen-krankenkasse). Amounts and conditions, however, vary widely from product to product: which amounts are reimbursed and what requirements they are tied to is governed by the insurance conditions (AVB) of the product concerned. So don't rely on general statements; check the specific figures of the product you want — in the easyall comparison, the benefit details are stored for each product, and easy, our AI guide, can look them up directly in the AVB. ## Is a supplement worth it just for the gym membership? Honestly calculated: rarely. Small contributions towards fitness or glasses alone hardly justify a high annual premium — what matters is the overall package of benefits you will actually use. Outpatient supplements typically bundle several components: - Fitness and prevention: contributions towards memberships, sports courses and check-ups — amount depending on the product. - Glasses and contact lenses: adults in principle receive no contribution from basic insurance (children up to 18: CHF 180 per year); outpatient supplements typically pay CHF 100–300 per year. - Rescue and transport: basic insurance only pays 50% of rescue costs in Switzerland up to a maximum of CHF 5'000 per year — many outpatient supplements cover rescue and repatriation from abroad without limit. - Cover [abroad](https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/krankenkasse-ausland-ferien): outside Europe, basic insurance pays at most twice the Swiss tariff; many outpatient supplements already include cover abroad. ## Health check: the insurer may reject you Unlike basic insurance, supplementary insurance has no obligation to accept: the insurer decides on the basis of a health declaration and may impose reservations or reject the application. Answer the health questions completely and truthfully — false information can put the contract at risk. Some supplementary products also have waiting periods, meaning benefits are only paid after a certain period of insurance; many outpatient supplements have none. Whether waiting periods apply, and which, is set out in the AVB. And if you want to [replace existing supplementary insurance](https://easyall.ch/en/ratgeber/zusatzversicherung-kuendigen), the golden rule applies: only cancel once you have the new insurer's written acceptance confirmation. ## Deadlines and terms when switching Many supplementary insurance policies have minimum terms of several years — often three years, sometimes one year — usually with three months' notice. The legal framework is set by the revised VVG (Art. 35a): every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the latest as of the end of the third year and annually thereafter, with three months' notice in text form. The AVB of the specific product remain decisive. At most insurers, supplementary insurance ends on 31 December, and the cancellation must arrive by 30 September — what counts is receipt, not the postmark. Allow enough lead time: between application and cancellation come the health check, the acceptance confirmation and the 14-day revocation period. If you want to switch as of 1 January, ideally submit your application by mid-August. The ideal start for the new policy is 1 January — if it starts earlier, you will temporarily pay two supplementary premiums in parallel. When you take out supplementary insurance via easyall, the cancellation letter is created automatically; you compare benefits and premiums in the [calculator](https://easyall.ch/en/calculator). ## Checklist: how to proceed These steps help you find out whether an outpatient supplement pays off for you: - Take stock: how much do you actually spend per year on fitness, glasses and similar health expenses? - Compare benefits before price: check the contribution amount, conditions and any waiting periods in the product's AVB — two products with similar premiums can have completely different limits. - Calculate the whole package: set all the benefits you will realistically use against the annual premium — not just the fitness contribution. - For a start on 1 January, ideally submit your application by mid-August; answer the health questions truthfully. - Only cancel existing supplementary insurance after the written acceptance confirmation — receipt by the insurer by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December. ## FAQ ### Does basic insurance pay anything towards my gym membership? No. Basic insurance only contributes to individual preventive services defined by law — gym memberships, sports courses and voluntary check-ups are not among them. Such contributions are typical benefits of outpatient supplementary insurance. ### How much do supplementary insurance plans contribute towards fitness? Amounts and conditions vary widely from product to product; the AVB of the product concerned are decisive. So check the specific figures of the product you want — in the easyall comparison, the benefit details are stored for each product, and easy, our AI guide, can look them up directly in the AVB. ### Can the insurer reject me for an outpatient supplement? Yes. Supplementary insurance policies are private-law contracts under the VVG: the insurer decides on the basis of a health declaration and may impose reservations or reject you. So only cancel existing supplementary insurance once you have the new insurer's written acceptance confirmation. ### By when do I have to cancel my current supplementary insurance if I want to switch? At most insurers, the cancellation must arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December. Also note minimum terms: under revVVG Art. 35a, every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the latest as of the end of the third year and annually thereafter (three months' notice, in text form). Ideally submit your new application by mid-August. ## Sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG), SR 221.229.1 – official text in German](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/24/719_735_717/de) – Fedlex, Classified Compilation of Federal Legislation - [Health insurance](https://www.ch.ch/en/health/health-insurance/) – ch.ch, Confederation, cantons and communes