Your own four walls

You’re moving out into your own four walls or a shared flat? Hello freedom! It’s the start of a new phase in your life. Do you know why your policy changes when you move out and why there are premium regions? Find out here.

In Europe, the age at which young people move out varies greatly. In Switzerland young people are usually around 24/25 years of age. Young people in Sweden move out of the family home the earliest, with the average age being 19. Croatians take longest to flee the nest, with men being 33 and women up to 27 before they move out permanently.

Your own policy

Now you’re moving out, you’ll get your own insurance contract. When you’re not registered at the same residential address as your parents, you’re no longer included in the family policy.

We’ll send you an amended quote as soon as you’ve notified us of your change of address. Use this opportunity to check whether you’re still happy with your insurance cover.

The 3 Ps: preparation, preparation, preparation

You have a lot to organise both before and after the move. You’ll find handy tips and useful information on these websites:

Change your address yourself in the Sanitas Portal

In the Sanitas Portal, you can change your address yourself. As soon as you live alone and have your own policy, you can sign up to the Sanitas Portal.

New home, new premium

When you move, your premium may not follow. It could be higher or lower, depending on the premium region you’ve moved to. There are currently 42 premium regions in Switzerland. Every canton has at least one region and a maximum of three. In rare cases, the premium region may change even if you only move across the road.

Why are there premium regions?

Premium regions are designed to offset varying healthcare costs within a canton. They are defined by the Federal Department of Home Affairs (EDI) based on the following criteria:
 

  • Amount of healthcare costs in a region
  • Density of doctors, hospitals and nursing homes in a region
     

Generally speaking, premiums tend to be higher in cities than in rural areas. However, premiums may only differ by a maximum of 15% between region 1 and 2 and by a maximum of 10% between region 2 and 3. This is also specified by the EDI.

Draw up a budget

According to statistics published by Caritas, young people aged between 16 and 25 are more likely to get into debt. This is not surprising, because when you move out of your parents’ house you’re suddenly faced with a lot more bills. How far will your savings and wages stretch in your quest for independence? Get an overview of your finances and draw up a budget. This is the only way to know what you can afford and what you can’t.

A rule of thumb states that a household should spend around a quarter and not more than a third of its gross monthly income on rent and utility bills. However, rent is only one of many items in a household’s budget. You’re now also responsible for bills that your parents used to pay: internet, electricity, television licence, health insurance, personal liability insurance, food, cleaning products, clothes, haircuts, etc., not to mention the furniture and other items you’ll need for your new flat.

Sanitas magazine: Spotlight on health-related issues