Save money on health insurance: 13 tips

If you work at least eight hours a week for the same company, you are insured for occupational and non-occupational accidents through your employer. In this case, you can exclude accident cover from your basic insurance – and thus reduce your premium by 6.9%. You can manage your settings quickly and easily in the Sanitas Portal.

To the Sanitas Portal

In addition to the Basic standard model with free choice of doctors, Sanitas offers alternative models with premium discounts. With the alternative models, for example, you always contact a family doctor or health centre first when you need medical advice. They coordinate your treatment and refer you to specialists if necessary.

Alternative insurance models

Our award-winning app offers great savings potential. Before you have an examination or treatment, you can use the Cover Check to find out whether the costs are covered under your Sanitas insurance plans. If you need to see a doctor, you can find out who to contact (according to your basic insurance) directly in the app or use the handy search functions to find the right hospital, therapist or specialist. Our invoice translator helps you check your invoice after treatment. Did you really receive all the benefits listed there? This also helps you save money.

Sanitas Portal app

Your deductible is the share you pay towards treatment costs and is calculated each calendar year. If you increase your deductible for basic insurance, you can save up to CHF 1,540 on your health insurance premium each year. Change your deductible by 31 December for the following year. You can do so quickly and easily in the Sanitas Portal.

Important: Only increase your deductible if you rarely go to the doctor. Bear in mind that you have to cover the costs of any treatment up to the amount of your deductible plus the maximum copayment of CHF 700.

How the premium is calculated

Premiums are usually paid monthly. However, you can also pay your premiums for a year or six months in advance. For paying a year in advance you receive a discount of 1% and for six months 0.5%.

Adjust payment frequency in the Sanitas Portal 

With generic drugs, you usually pay a copayment of only 10% compared to 20% for original drugs. Find out now whether there is a generic drug for your medication in Switzerland:

Generic drug finder

Order your medicines online and have them delivered to your door free of charge. Thanks to our partnership with the Zur Rose and MediService online pharmacies, you can take advantage of numerous benefits. This saves you time and money. You don’t have to worry about the billing, because the online pharmacies settle invoices directly with Sanitas.

Online pharmacies

If you’re unsure whether you need to see a doctor, our partner Medgate provides free medical advice around the clock. This helps you to avoid expensive emergency costs, particularly during the night or at the weekend. Contact the Medgate telemedicine team for an initial assessment or a second medical opinion: 0844 124 365 or via the Sanitas Medgate app.

When you change doctors or are referred to a specialist, you may have to undergo duplicate and therefore unnecessary examinations, such as X-rays of the same joint taken in quick succession by different doctors. Remember: these images – be they X-rays, MRIs or CT scans – and the results of all examinations (e.g. lab values), belong to you. Ask for them and take them with you to your next doctor’s appointment. This saves you time and money.

The Health area of the Sanitas Portal offers many services to help you live a healthy life. Earn rewards for exercise, do something good for your heart or improve your sleep. The mental health guide also offers attractive discounts on selected coaching sessions. If you have any questions, our health advisors will be happy to help via chat or by phone on 058 344 51 00. 

People in a tight financial situation may be entitled to a premium subsidy in Switzerland. Up to a certain limit of income and assets, the social security authority (SVA) of your canton of residence will pay part of your health insurance premiums. How high the premium subsidy is and who receives it depends on the canton you live in. Contact the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) to find out which office is responsible for premium subsidies in your canton of residence. Don’t miss the deadlines for applying for a premium subsidy.

If you do military or civilian service for more than 60 consecutive days, you can suspend basic insurance with your health insurer. This means your insurance is paused for a specified period and you don’t pay a premium. For the duration of your military or civilian service, you are insured for accident and illness and any associated economic consequences under military insurance. Download the suspension template.  

In certain cases, you can also suspend your supplementary insurance and save 70% on your premium – for example if you move your place of residence abroad, stay abroad for longer than three months or do military training for more than 60 days.

Important: once you’ve suspended your insurance, you’re no longer able to claim benefits.

Premiums, deductible and copayment At the start of the year, we send you a statement for your tax return. This statement lists the premiums paid and the costs borne by you in the previous year. You can enter the total amount on your tax return, which can have a positive effect on your tax bill. Additional health costs. If your health costs are very high (more than 5% of your net income), you can also claim a deduction on your tax return in almost all cantons. For example: dental costs, operations, care costs such as Spitex, vaccinations, treatment by doctors or natural health practitioners, prescribed medication. You must be able to prove the relevant costs.