Cancelling the health fund by 30 November: deadline and letter

Why 30 November is the key date

For basic insurance (KVG/LAMal), the ordinary cancellation takes effect on 1 January of the following year. The letter must reach your fund by 30 November, which is the last working day of the one-month period before the annual expiry. It is this deadline that drives the great year-end fund-changing movement in Switzerland.

Decisive point: the DATE OF RECEIPT by the fund is what counts, not the postmark. A letter arriving on 1 December is late, even if posted on 28 November. Hence the importance of anticipating.

This deadline applies to every insured person, including children and other members of the household: each one has their own contract and must therefore be cancelled separately, with that letter also received by 30 November. Preparing the letters at the same time avoids forgetting one at the last moment.

Making the most of the new premium announcement

Insurers communicate the following year's premiums by 31 October at the latest. You therefore have the whole of November to compare and decide. If the new premium rises, it is often the trigger for change: the procedure remains the same, the cancellation having to be received by 30 November.

Before sending, make sure you have a receiving fund for 1 January: basic insurance is compulsory and tolerates no gap. Note too that a cancellation is blocked as long as premiums or cost-sharing remain unpaid.

Sending the letter on time

Write a clear letter with your identity, policy number, wish to cancel and effective date of 1 January, then sign. Send by registered mail to have proof of receipt: in a dispute over the arrival date, it is your best protection. Allow several days of delivery and do not wait for the very last days of November.

Keep a copy of the letter and the registered-mail receipt until your old fund confirms in writing. If you receive no confirmation in the following weeks, follow up in writing: until the cancellation is recorded, the old contract keeps running and the premiums remain due.

You can generate a ready letter here, to review, print and sign, so as not to lose time as the deadline approaches.