Which deductible is best? CHF 300 vs. 2'500 compared

The deductible is one of the biggest levers for saving on health insurance. Even so, many insured persons choose the wrong amount, often out of fear or habit. In this article we do the maths openly: which deductible pays off for whom.

In short: what is the deductible?

The deductible is the amount you pay yourself each year before your health insurer covers any costs. After that you still pay a co-payment of 10% (up to CHF 700 a year). Only then does the insurer pay everything.

So the maximum out-of-pocket cost is CHF 1'000 (deductible 300) vs. CHF 3'200 (deductible 2'500). At first glance that looks like a huge difference. But if you choose the higher deductible, you pay much lower premiums in return.

How much do you save with a 2'500 deductible?

Less than you might think, and almost everywhere the same amount. The discount for a higher deductible is capped by law: it may be at most 70 percent of the additional risk. With a deductible of 2'500 instead of 300 you carry CHF 2'200 more risk, so the discount is at most CHF 1'540 a year, or CHF 128.35 a month.

Almost all insurers give exactly this maximum, in every canton and for adults as well as young adults. In the 2027 premiums the median discount is exactly these CHF 1'540.

The calculation that matters: when does which deductible pay off?

With premium savings of CHF 1'540 a year (deductible 2'500 instead of 300), the overall picture looks like this:

Bottom line: the threshold is around CHF 2'000 in medical costs a year. Below that, the 2'500 deductible is cheaper, above it the 300 deductible. In the worst case, the 2'500 deductible costs you at most CHF 660 a year. In every healthy year you save CHF 1'540. Statistically, the 2'500 deductible clearly wins over the years for most people.

When does the 300 deductible still make sense?

• Chronic illness: diabetes, asthma, heart problems, mental illness with regular therapy
• Planned surgery or treatment: you already know that high costs are coming next year
• Regular medication or therapy: costs above roughly CHF 2'000 a year
• No financial cushion: you could not pay CHF 2'500 in one go

What about the deductibles in between?

Deductibles of 500, 1'000, 1'500 and 2'000 are almost never the best choice. The reason: each extra franc of deductible earns you at most 70 centimes of discount. If you don't use the deductible, you gain the full 70 centimes. If you use it up, you lose 30 centimes. That is why one of the two extremes almost always pays off: as low as possible if you expect high costs, as high as possible if not, but with a higher remaining risk.

In the vast majority of cases, the options that make mathematical sense are only CHF 300 or CHF 2'500.

A word on pregnancy

Many women switch to the 300 deductible when planning a pregnancy. That is not necessary: from the 13th week of pregnancy, maternity costs are exempt from the deductible and co-payment. The deductible only applies to other treatment.

How many people in Switzerland choose which deductible?

The trend is clear, the majority go for the highest deductible:

• CHF 2'500: approx. 50 to 55% of adults
• CHF 300: approx. 25 to 30%
• In between: approx. 15 to 25%

Among young adults (19 to 25), over 70% even choose the highest deductible.

Our recommendation

Sources: Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), 2027 premiums (opendata.swiss) and Statistics on compulsory health insurance; discount cap under Art. 95 para. 2bis of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV). Calculation without accident cover and without the hospital contribution. All information without guarantee.