Updated on 20 October 2026
Switching health insurer for 2027: the dates, the letter and the pitfalls
Your health insurer must send you your 2027 premium by 31 October at the latest. Whether your premium rises or not, you can switch insurer for 1 January: your cancellation letter must reach your current insurer by 30 November 2026 at the latest. What counts is the date it is received, not the postmark.
The three dates to remember
| Date | What you do |
|---|---|
| Before 15 November | You send your cancellation by registered mail, to leave a margin (FOPH advice) |
| 30 November | Last day for your letter to reach your current insurer |
| 1 January 2027 | You are insured with your new insurer |
The steps, in order
- Compare on Priminfo, the official federal comparison site. First choose your model (family doctor, telemedicine, free choice), then your deductible, then the cheapest insurer for that model.
- Apply to the new insurer, preferably by registered mail too, stating your deductible and the start date (1 January 2027). For basic insurance it must accept you without reservations or waiting periods, whatever your age or health, and without a medical questionnaire.
- Cancel in writing with your current insurer, by registered mail. Keep a copy and the post office receipt. Official letter templates are available on Priminfo and on the Canton of Geneva website.
Your old insurance only ends once the new insurer confirms that you are covered, so you are never left uninsured. If the new insurer does not reply, chase it: without its confirmation, you stay with the old one and pay the old premium.
The pitfalls that block a switch
- Unpaid bills: if you owe premiums, cost-sharing, late-payment interest or debt collection fees that received a reminder by 30 November at the latest, and they are still unpaid on 31 December, you stay with your old insurer.
- Supplementary insurance: cancelling basic insurance does not cancel the supplementary one, and its notice periods, set in its terms and conditions, often fall much earlier. You can perfectly well keep it with the old insurer. Careful: a supplementary insurer may ask health questions and refuse you, so never cancel it before you have the new one's written acceptance.
- The deductible: to lower it, your written request must arrive by 30 November at the latest (at your new insurer if you switch); to raise it, you have until 31 December.
You can also save without switching insurer
Moving from free choice of doctor to a family doctor, telemedicine or pharmacy model is possible at any time of the year. It is often the simplest saving. Other model changes take effect on 1 January, in writing by 30 November at the latest.
What about 1 July?
With the CHF 300 deductible and free choice of doctor, you can also switch insurer for 1 July: your letter must then arrive by 31 March at the latest.
Are you a cross-border commuter?
If you chose LAMal (rather than the French CMU), the same rules apply, with “resident in France” premiums. For 2027 they range from CHF 209.30 (Helsana) to CHF 823.10 (KPT) per month for an adult aged 26 or over, standard model, without accident cover.
Choose your model and deductible with our LAMal page, then compare premiums on Priminfo.
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