Health insurance at 26: why the premium rises so sharply
Up to the age of 25 you pay less for health insurance than adults do, the law requires it. How much less is up to each insurer. At 26 this discount disappears, all at once. If you don't compare at that point, you often pay more than you need to.
2027 premiums, deductible 2'500 without accident cover, same tariff as a young adult and as an adult. With a 300 deductible and accident cover, the median is +33%.
When exactly it gets more expensive
What counts is not your birthday but your year of birth (KVV Art. 91). From 1 January of the year in which you turn 26, you pay the adult premium. Someone born in 2002 therefore pays it from 1 January 2028. The new premium is shown in the premium notice you receive the autumn before, in good time before the 30 November cancellation deadline.
How much the premium rises at each insurer
Same tariff, same region, once as a young adult and once as an adult. Median across all tariffs and regions, insurers with at least 50'000 insured persons:
| Insurer | Increase at 26 | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| KPT | +34% | CHF 1'144 |
| sana24 | +34% | CHF 1'207 |
| Helsana | +36% | CHF 1'189 |
| sodalis | +38% | CHF 1'312 |
| Swica | +38% | CHF 1'324 |
| Galenos | +42% | CHF 1'463 |
| ÖKK | +46% | CHF 1'370 |
| Assura | +46% | CHF 1'573 |
| Philos | +46% | CHF 1'627 |
| Atupri | +49% | CHF 1'552 |
| Aquilana | +50% | CHF 1'582 |
| Concordia | +52% | CHF 1'539 |
| Mutuel | +53% | CHF 1'727 |
| Avenir | +54% | CHF 1'753 |
| Vivao Sympany | +54% | CHF 1'657 |
| CSS | +54% | CHF 1'704 |
| Agrisano | +55% | CHF 1'567 |
| Visana | +55% | CHF 1'721 |
| EGK | +56% | CHF 1'719 |
| Sanitas | +68% | CHF 1'826 |
If you chose the insurer with the biggest youth discount at 20, you get the biggest jump at 26. Insurers with a small youth discount are slightly more expensive for young people, but often cheaper for adults.
Is a fresh comparison worth it?
Usually, yes. The cheapest insurer for young adults is also the cheapest for adults in only 14 of 43 premium regions. In the others it is often close behind, in 3rd place on median, but sometimes much further down. A comparison takes a minute, and you can switch every year with effect from 1 January.
Tip: enter a year of birth 26 years back in the calculator, and you can already see today which insurers are cheap for adults in your region. The prices are those for 2027, the order may shift next year.
And the deductible?
Nothing changes about the deductible at 26, and the discount for a high deductible is capped the same way for young adults and adults. If you rarely see a doctor, CHF 2'500 is usually still your best bet. More on this: Which deductible is best?
Compare premiums for your postcode
All insurers, official 2027 premiums, with price consistency score.
Compare now →Sources: FOPH, compulsory health insurance premiums 2027 (opendata.swiss), our own analysis; Health Insurance Act (KVG) Art. 61 para. 3 (lower premiums for young adults); Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) Art. 91 para. 3 (age groups by year of birth). Information without guarantee.