Enter the monthly premiums of your offer and your estimated health costs: the calculator works out the annual cost of each deductible, including premiums, deductible and retention fee, then the break-even point and the maximum loss compared with the ordinary deductible.
Parameters checked on | Author: Brice DELHOME
Example with the pre-filled fictitious premiums: for CHF 1,200 of health costs a year, the cheapest deductible is the CHF 2,500 one, at CHF 5,880 a year in total, against CHF 6,390 with the ordinary CHF 300 deductible. It is cheaper than the ordinary deductible as long as annual costs stay below CHF 1,767; in the worst year, its extra cost does not exceed CHF 880.
| Deductible | Annual premiums | Deductible paid + retention fee | Total cost | Difference from the ordinary deductible | Break-even | Maximum loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 CHF (ordinary) | 6,000 | 300 + 90 | 6,390 | – | – | – |
| 500 CHF | 5,880 | 500 + 70 | 6,450 | +60 | 433 | 80 |
| 1,000 CHF | 5,580 | 1,000 + 20 | 6,600 | +210 | 767 | 280 |
| 1,500 CHF | 5,280 | 1,200 + 0 | 6,480 | +90 | 1,100 | 480 |
| 2,000 CHF | 4,980 | 1,200 + 0 | 6,180 | −210 | 1,433 | 680 |
| 2,500 CHF | 4,680 | 1,200 + 0 | 5,880 | −510 | 1,767 | 880 |
Indicative estimate, amounts rounded to the franc, based on the premiums you enter. The break-even and the maximum loss are measured against the ordinary deductible. The hospital contribution of 15 francs a day, identical whatever the deductible, is not counted. This calculation names no insurer and does not replace reading your own offer.
For a decision effective 1 January 2027, the date to remember is 30 November 2026: it is the last day to notify your insurer that you want to lower your deductible. Raising it remains possible for 1 January, but the Federal Office of Public Health recommends announcing it by mid-December at the latest. This calculation concerns people insured and resident in Switzerland: policyholders resident in a European Union state, Iceland, Norway or the United Kingdom, including cross-border workers who have opted for LAMal, cannot choose an optional deductible (OAMal, art. 101a).
For each deductible offered, the calculator adds up three amounts over a calendar year: the twelve monthly premiums, the deductible paid, equal to your health costs as long as they do not exceed the deductible, then the retention fee of 10% of the costs above the deductible, capped at 700 francs for an adult and 350 francs for a child. The deductible with the lowest total is the cheapest for the level of costs entered.
Annual cost = 12 × monthly premium + deductible paid + retention fee
Break-even = (annual rebate + 270) ÷ 0.9 for an adult, and annual rebate ÷ 0.9 for a child
Maximum loss = deductible chosen − 300 − annual rebate for an adult, and deductible chosen − annual rebate for a child
In the break-even formula, 270 corresponds to 90% of the ordinary deductible of 300 francs.
The annual rebate is the difference between the premium for the ordinary deductible and the premium for the optional deductible, multiplied by twelve. The break-even is the amount of annual costs above which the optional deductible becomes more expensive than the ordinary deductible. The maximum loss is the extra cost in the worst possible year, once both retention fee caps have been reached, which happens from 9,500 francs of costs for a 2,500-franc deductible.
Example: your insurer offers a 2,500-franc deductible with a rebate of 100 francs a month, that is 1,200 francs a year. The break-even comes to (1,200 + 270) ÷ 0.9 = 1,633 francs of costs a year, and the maximum loss to 2,500 − 300 − 1,200 = 1,000 francs. At the maximum rebate allowed by law, 1,540 francs a year, the break-even rises to 2,011 francs and the maximum loss falls to 660 francs.
The parameters below come from the consolidated versions of the Health Insurance Ordinance (OAMal, as at 1 August 2026) and the Federal Health Insurance Act (LAMal, as at 1 July 2026), cross-checked against the pages of the Federal Office of Public Health. The premiums are the ones you enter.
| Parameter | Value used | Source | Checked on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary deductible, adult | CHF 300 per calendar year | OAMal, art. 103, para. 1 | 20.10.2026 |
| Ordinary deductible, child up to 18 | CHF 0 | LAMal, art. 64, para. 4 | 20.10.2026 |
| Optional deductibles, adults and young adults | CHF 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 | OAMal, art. 93, para. 1 | 20.10.2026 |
| Optional deductibles, children | CHF 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 | OAMal, art. 93, para. 1 | 20.10.2026 |
| Retention fee | 10% of costs above the deductible | LAMal, art. 64, para. 2 | 20.10.2026 |
| Annual cap on the retention fee | CHF 700 adult, CHF 350 child | OAMal, art. 103, para. 2 | 20.10.2026 |
| Maximum rebate on an optional deductible | 70% of the additional risk taken on | OAMal, art. 95, para. 2bis | 20.10.2026 |
| Contribution to hospital stay costs | CHF 15 a day, not counted because identical for every deductible | OAMal, art. 104 | 20.10.2026 |
| Optional deductible for policyholders resident in the EU, Iceland, Norway or the United Kingdom | Excluded | OAMal, art. 101a | 20.10.2026 |
| Lowering your deductible | On 1 January, by notifying the insurer in writing by 30 November at the latest | OAMal, art. 94, para. 2 · FOPH | 20.10.2026 |
| Raising your deductible | On 1 January; notice recommended by mid-December at the latest | OAMal, art. 94, para. 1 · FOPH | 20.10.2026 |
Two caveats apply to the result. Insurers are not required to offer every deductible, and their rebates are often lower than the legal maximum: that is why the calculator starts from the premiums of your offer rather than from theoretical scales. In addition, on 13 March 2026 the Federal Council opened a consultation on raising the ordinary deductible from 300 to 400 francs; the proposal must still go before Parliament and changes nothing for 2027.
The full analysis, with the table of the maximum rebate for each deductible, the comparison of the family doctor, HMO and Telmed models and the calendar of every possible change, is in our guide LAMal deductible and model: the right choice, in numbers.
By adding up, for each deductible, the twelve monthly premiums of the year and the cost sharing your health costs would trigger: the deductible itself, then a retention fee of 10% of the costs above it, capped at CHF 700 a year for an adult. The deductible with the lowest total is the cheapest for that level of costs. The result therefore depends on two figures specific to each person: the premiums your insurer offers for each deductible, and the amount of care you use in a year. The statements from your last three years give the best order of magnitude.
It is the amount of annual health costs above which an optional deductible becomes more expensive than the ordinary CHF 300 deductible. For an adult, it is calculated as follows: the annual rebate obtained plus 270, all divided by 0.9. With a rebate of CHF 1,200 a year on a CHF 2,500 deductible, the break-even is CHF 1,633. At the maximum rebate allowed by article 95 of the Health Insurance Ordinance, it reaches CHF 2,011 for the CHF 2,500 deductible. The rebate actually offered is often lower than that maximum, which lowers the break-even.
To lower your deductible as of 1 January 2027, you must notify your insurer in writing by 30 November 2026 at the latest: article 94 of the Health Insurance Ordinance refers to the notice periods of article 7 of the Federal Health Insurance Act. To raise your deductible, the ordinance sets no notice period: the change takes effect on 1 January, and the Federal Office of Public Health recommends notifying your insurer by mid-December at the latest. In both cases, the deductible can only change at the start of a calendar year.
The insurance model, yes, through the premiums entered; the hospital contribution, no. A family doctor, HMO or Telmed model changes the premium but not the cost sharing: simply enter the premiums of the model you are considering, comparing deductibles within the same model. The contribution to hospital stay costs of CHF 15 a day is the same whatever the deductible; it does not change the ranking and is therefore not counted. The calculation also ignores the 40% retention fee applied to certain original medicines when a cheaper generic exists (OAMal, art. 104a, para. 1bis and 2; Federal Office of Public Health).
For a child up to 18, the ordinary deductible is zero francs: no deductible is charged. Parents may choose an optional deductible of CHF 100 to 600, in steps of CHF 100, in exchange for a rebate limited to 70% of the additional risk. The 10% retention fee is capped at CHF 350 a year. The break-even is then calculated by dividing the annual rebate by 0.9: with a CHF 600 deductible at the maximum rebate of CHF 420, it is CHF 467 of care a year. When several children from the same family are insured with the same insurer, their combined cost sharing is capped, which the calculator does not model.
If your income is in another currency, every premium payment goes through a conversion. ibani is a Swiss financial intermediary established in Geneva since 2018, not a bank: an account with a personal Swiss IBAN, exchange at the real market rate and a margin stated upfront, from 0.15%.
Open an ibani account →Institutional sources: Fedlex, Health Insurance Ordinance (OAMal, SR 832.102) · Fedlex, Federal Health Insurance Act (LAMal, SR 832.10) · Federal Office of Public Health, optional deductibles · FOPH, premiums and cost sharing · FOPH, consultation of 13 March 2026 on raising the minimum deductible · Priminfo, official comparison tool for approved premiums
Note: this calculator provides an estimate for information purposes, based on the premiums you enter and the state of the law as at 20 October 2026. It names no insurer, does not predict your health costs and does not constitute personalised advice: check the amounts on your own offer before deciding.