If you have just moved to Switzerland — or you are about to — you have probably already heard the name Helsana. It is the country's largest health insurer, which means two things at once: it is a safe, financially solid choice, and its sheer size can make it feel harder to get a straight answer out of than a smaller, boutique insurer would.
SWICA is known for its service standards and health promotion benefits. Here is where it fits, and who it tends to suit.
Sanitas sits in the mainstream of the Swiss market with a strong digital offering. This is what that means in practice.
Atupri often appears near the top of price comparisons. Here is what you get, and what you give up.
Sympany is a regionally strong insurer that often prices competitively. A short orientation for newcomers.
The third pillar is the part of the Swiss system you actively choose. Here is how it fits with the other two.
Three pillars, two of them largely automatic. An orientation for people who have just started working in Switzerland.
Not legally required, but close to universal — and often bundled with the liability cover landlords ask for.
The cover Swiss landlords ask for before handing over the keys, and the reason it is worth having anyway.
Where life cover fits alongside the pension pillars, and what changes when you may not stay permanently.
What genuinely has to happen in your first month, in the order it makes sense to do it.