Rising premiums for compulsory health insurance continue to stir political debate in Switzerland. Yet a representative survey by Comparis, an online price comparison platform, suggests that for most households the burden remains manageable. Some 59% of respondents report no difficulty paying their premiums despite steady increases. Roughly one-third benefit from cantonal subsidies.
Felix Schneuwly, health-insurance expert at Comparis, notes that households receiving subsidies and those with comfortable incomes do not currently feel overburdened. By contrast, insured persons in French-speaking Switzerland and in Ticino report greater strain. Premiums are higher in those regions, and fewer policyholders opt for lower-cost alternatives such as family-doctor or managed-care models. The difference also reflects lower average pay and the burden of higher tax rates in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Regional and demographic divides
Affordability varies markedly across the country. In German-speaking Switzerland, 63% say they face no difficulty paying premiums. The equivalent share is 51% in the French-speaking cantons and just 40% in Ticino.
Older respondents are least affected. Among those aged 56 and above, 64% report no financing problems, compared with 55% of those aged 18–35 and 58% of those aged 36–55. Couples (66%) are less likely to struggle than single-person households. Income matters most: 78% of high-income households report no difficulty, compared with 59% of middle-income households.
Who receives subsidies?
Overall, 32% of respondents receive cantonal premium reductions. Unsurprisingly, support is concentrated among lower earners: 57% of households with a gross monthly income of up to CHF 4,000 receive subsidies, as do 30% of those earning between CHF 4,000 and CHF 8,000. Even among households earning more than CHF 8,000 a month, 20% benefit from premium reductions—often families with children, for whom eligibility thresholds are higher.
Subsidies are more common among younger adults (36% of 18–35 year-olds) than among those aged 56 and above (26%). Households with children (42%) are significantly more likely to receive support than those without (27%).
Because eligibility is determined by taxable income, Schneuwly argues that the system may create unintended incentives, particularly for middle-income families balancing work and childcare costs.
Persistent pressure at the bottom
Despite a widespread ability to cope, financial strain remains significant for a minority. 16% of respondents say they regularly struggle to pay their premiums. The figure rises to 21% in French-speaking Switzerland, compared with 14% in German-speaking regions. Single-person households are more exposed (21%) than couples or larger households (both 15%).
Among households earning up to CHF 4,000 per month, 29% report regular difficulty—even after accounting for subsidies. In the middle-income bracket, the share falls to 17%; among high earners (above CHF 8,000), it is 9%.
Some 9% of respondents do not pay their premiums themselves, typically because they are fully covered by social assistance or subsidy schemes. Following voters’ rejection of a cap limiting premiums to 10% of income, a federal counter-proposal now obliges cantons to adjust their subsidy contributions in line with premium growth.
Although most households say they can manage their premiums, a sizeable minority—disproportionately lower-income, single and concentrated in western Switzerland—faces persistent strain. Nor does coping imply contentment. Many of those who report managing the burden are also taxpayers helping to finance the subsidies that cushion others. As premiums continue to rise, political pressure to rein in both healthcare costs and insurance bills is unlikely to fade.
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