Cancel health insurance 2026: 30 November deadline, template & the cut-off almost everyone misses

In Geneva the cheapest basic insurance costs CHF 604 a month, in Zug only CHF 335, almost double for exactly the same coverage. And cancelling is easier than you think: you cancel basic insurance to 31 December, but the cancellation must reach your old insurer by 30 November at the latest. The golden rule: never cancel before the new insurer has accepted you in writing.

🧭 Basic or supplementary insurance? Two completely different rule sets

Basic insurance (KVG) is identical in benefits at every insurer, only the premium differs, and no insurer may reject you for basic cover. That's exactly why it pays to compare before you cancel: same coverage, different price. Supplementary insurance (VVG), by contrast, is voluntary, varies from insurer to insurer, has its own notice periods, and the insurer may reject you on health grounds.

Hence the golden rule most people fail at: NEVER cancel basic insurance before the new insurer has accepted you in writing. A gap in mandatory cover is not allowed. And don't cancel supplementary insurance rashly, if you get ill or older, no new insurer will take you on the same terms. Do the pure premium comparison in the switching guide; here it's about the clean cancellation.

⏱️ Notice periods: the four dates that count

Ordinary: cancellation to 31 December, receipt by 30 November at the latest; fixed calendar dates count, not your contract date. The second chance: anyone with the minimum deductible (CHF 300, children 0) and the standard model with free choice of doctor can also cancel to 30 June, with 3 months' notice, so by 31 March. A lower deductible you report by 30 November, a higher one by 31 December. Supplementary insurance follows its own contractual periods.

⚠️ The traps, and the right almost everyone overlooks

A premium increase triggers an extraordinary right of cancellation, and that's exactly what many Swiss residents overlook every year, losing money as a result. And because virtually every insurer raises premiums annually, this right exists almost always, but the cancellation must still reach them by 30 November (last working day in November). Trap number two: cancelling the old insurer first and only then looking for a new one. Exactly backwards. If you're reviewing several contracts, find the VVG logic in the cancel-insurance guide, and for the policy itself the accident-insurance guide helps.

🗺️ Premiums by canton: where switching pays off most

Your place of residence decides almost half of your premium: in Geneva an adult pays at least CHF 604 a month, in Zug only CHF 335, a 1.8× difference for exactly the same basic coverage (mandatory KVG/LAMal). The map shows each canton's cheapest 2026 premium, once for the managed-care model and once for free choice of doctor, based on the ConvivaPlus analysis of the official FOPH premium data 2026. These are the genuinely lowest offered premiums, not the weighted mean premium. The bigger the gap to your current premium, the more switching is worth.

The ConvivaPlus premium-burden index shows the jump: after four years of stagnation around CHF 315, the average monthly basic premium rose from CHF 315 (2022) to CHF 393 (2026), +CHF 78 a month or about CHF 936 a year (+24.7%) in just four years, per the ConvivaPlus analysis of the FOPH premium data. That pressure is exactly what makes switching a must.

📝 Cancel health insurance in 5 steps

Here's how to switch without running into a gap or a missed deadline.

1. 1
   Compare + choose the new insurerCompare premiums, deductible and model, officially on priminfo.admin.ch (federal comparison). The calculator above shows you roughly what a higher deductible + savings model bring.
2. 2
   Sign up with the new insurerRegister with the new insurer for basic insurance and wait for the written confirmation of acceptance. Only that makes the switch safe.
3. 3
   Draft the cancellationGenerate the template below with insured number, name, address, cancellation to 31 December (or 30 June if you use the option).
4. 4
   Send by registered mail by 30 NovemberWhat counts is receipt at the old insurer, not the postmark. Send registered with a buffer, the deadline calculator shows you the days remaining.
5. 5
   Check supplementary separatelySupplementary insurance continues independently. Only cancel it once new supplementary cover is confirmed in writing, otherwise you risk rejection.

Note: journalistic guidance based on the KVG and VVG, not legal or insurance advice. Your policy, the GTC and your insurer are decisive. Premiums and discounts vary greatly by canton, region and insurer.

The most expensive health insurer isn't the one with the highest premium, but the one you keep another year out of convenience because you missed 30 November.

The ConvivaPlus cancellation index rates the major Swiss health insurers by cancellation hurdle (online form versus mandatory letter, deadlines, response time), based on the ConvivaPlus analysis of the insurers' official information. At a glance you see where switching is easiest.

[Name]

AXA

2026-07-02

Cancellation of insurance contract – policy no. [policy no.]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hereby cancel my insurance contract (policy no. [policy no.]) within the deadline, at the next possible date. Please confirm the cancellation in writing.

Kind regards

[Name]

Templates · 07/01/2026