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Insurer for doctors and dentists: 6 steps to compare in 2026

Four products hide behind the word 'fund': LAMal, LPP, loss-of-earnings cover and AVS. Here is the order of urgency and the figures needed to compare them.

Medcourtage - Insurer for doctors and dentists: 6 steps to compare in 2026

Taking over a practice: what your funds cost

Take a GP taking over a practice in Lausanne, or a dentist setting up in Geneva. From the very first month, four decisions arise in parallel: their personal LAMal premium, their professional liability insurance, their daily allowance cover and their LPP occupational pension.
As an order of magnitude, a basic adult LAMal premium is often between 4 500 and 7 500 CHF per year depending on the canton, the deductible and the model. A Geneva GP's professional liability insurance ranges between 1 800 and 3 200 CHF per year depending on the volume of procedures. Loss-of-earnings cover can amount to several thousand CHF a year. LPP and 3rd pillar buy-ins and contributions run to tens of thousands of CHF if you want to deduct them in full.
These amounts are ranges to be validated against your own quotes. The word 'fund' here covers four distinct products, with different deadlines and different logic. Mixing them up costs money and time.
The article deals with them in order of urgency for a self-employed person starting out.

1. Distinguish the four funds you must choose

First fund: LAMal. It is compulsory for anyone domiciled in Switzerland (Federal Health Insurance Act, LAMal). Basic insurance benefits are identical from one insurer to another. Only the premium, the deductible and the model (family doctor, HMO, Telmed) change.
Second fund: LPP occupational pension. As a self-employed person, you are not automatically subject to the 2nd pillar. You can join voluntarily, which many doctors do to make up for the absence of an employer and to optimise their tax position.
Third fund: loss-of-earnings insurance. No law obliges you to take it out, but without it, six months of sick leave can empty a practice. Here we are not talking about medical benefits but about insured income and waiting periods.
Fourth fund: the AVS compensation fund for the self-employed. Your affiliation is compulsory (Federal Old-Age and Survivors' Insurance Act, LAVS) and your contributions are calculated on your net self-employed income. The choice is most often limited to the cantonal fund or that of your professional association.
In order of urgency: AVS (registration as soon as the activity begins), loss of earnings (before the first consultation), LPP (within the first months), LAMal (30 November deadline for switching).
Basic adult LAMal premium, per year
ValueCHF 4'500 to 7'500
ContextDepending on the canton, the deductible (CHF 300 to 2'500) and the model (family doctor, HMO, Telmed)
Professional liability insurance of a Geneva GP, per year
ValueCHF 1'800 to 3'200
ContextDepending on the volume of procedures; a dentist with invasive procedures or implantology often sits higher
Loss-of-earnings insurance (daily allowance), per year
ValueSeveral thousand CHF
ContextDepending on the waiting period (30, 60 or 90 days) and the insured income
LPP and 3rd pillar buy-ins for a full deduction
ValueTens of thousands of CHF
ContextVoluntary contributions for a self-employed person, to be optimised for tax purposes with one's broker
From the first month, taking over a practice commits several thousand francs a year before the first consultation

Key takeaway

Four items arise in parallel from the outset: the orders of magnitude below are ranges to be validated against your own quotes.
Source: Indicative ranges from the article, to be validated against your own quotes — priminfo.admin.ch (FOPH) for LAMal premiums

2. Quantify your real needs before comparing

A comparison without starting figures is useless. Gather four pieces of data before requesting any quote:
  • Your annual volume of procedures and the number of tariff points billed.
  • The cantonal point value applicable to your practice.
  • Your forecast turnover and net income over 12 months.
  • The practice headcount: assistants, partners, locums.
Tardoc has changed the billing structure for outpatient medical procedures. It does not change your professional liability cover, but it does change the insured value of your practice: recalculate it. A professional liability contract set on old volumes may underestimate or overestimate your real exposure.
For a Geneva GP, the professional liability range of 1 800 to 3 200 CHF per year is explained by these parameters. A Lausanne dentist with more invasive procedures or implantology will often sit higher. Always ask the broker on what volume basis the premium is calculated.
Nature
LAMalCompulsory for anyone domiciled in Switzerland
LPP (2nd pillar)Voluntary for the self-employed
Loss of earningsNot compulsory (no law requires it)
AVS compensation fundCompulsory (LAVS)
Subject of the decision
LAMalPremium, deductible (CHF 300 to CHF 2'500) and model (family doctor, HMO, Telmed)
LPP (2nd pillar)Conversion rate, management fees, deductible buy-ins
Loss of earningsInsured income, waiting period (30, 60 or 90 days), duration (720 days out of 900)
AVS compensation fundContribution calculated on net self-employed income; cantonal or professional fund
Urgency deadline
LAMal30 November for a change on 1 January
LPP (2nd pillar)Within the first months of the activity
Loss of earningsBefore the first consultation
AVS compensation fundRegistration as soon as the activity begins
Four funds, four logics: only LAMal and AVS are compulsory, but loss-of-earnings cover protects the practice

Key takeaway

Four distinct products, four deadlines: AVS is registered as soon as the activity begins, loss-of-earnings cover is signed before the first consultation, LPP is settled in the first months and LAMal is changed before 30 November.
Source: Article 'Taking over a practice: what your funds cost'; LAMal, LAVS, LPP — fedlex.admin.ch; comparison tool priminfo.admin.ch (FOPH)

3. Compare LAMal premiums and deductibles by canton and model

The official comparison tool is priminfo.admin.ch, run by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). It displays the premiums for the current tariff year for each canton, region, deductible and model. Use it as a neutral reference, rather than a private comparison site.
LAMal deductibles for adults range from 300 to 2 500 CHF. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium, but the greater your out-of-pocket share if you fall ill. A doctor in good health with solid cash flow often chooses 2 500 CHF. A self-employed person starting out with few reserves sometimes takes a lower deductible.
The model matters as much as the deductible. The family doctor, HMO or Telmed model reduces the premium in exchange for a constraint on access to care. A doctor who knows the network can benefit from it. A dentist with specialised consultations will weigh up the constraints.
To switch, notice of termination must reach the insurer by 30 November at the latest for effect on 1 January, with the standard deductible. Note: the deadline is set by law, not by the insurer.

4. Set the daily allowance: waiting period, amount, duration

Three parameters determine your premium and your protection:
  • The waiting period: 30, 60 or 90 days before the first payment.
  • The insured amount, calculated on your net self-employed income.
  • The duration of benefits: generally 720 days within a 900-day period.
The longer the waiting period, the lower the premium. A 90-day period can noticeably reduce the annual premium, provided your cash flow covers three months of fixed costs (practice rent, salaries, leasing). Calculate this amount before choosing.
The insured income must reflect your real income, not your ambition. An undervalued amount limits your benefits. An overvalued amount inflates the premium and may cause problems in the event of a claim if the insurer disputes the declared income.
Finally, check the exclusions: pre-existing conditions, health reservations, the definition of incapacity for work (in your own profession or in any profession). For a dental surgeon, an injury to the hand, even a partial one, changes everything. Have the definition set out in writing.

5. Organise LPP and the 3rd pillar: buy-ins and deductions

Two options exist for occupational pension provision: a collective foundation linked to your professional association, including the FMH, or a private institution chosen with your broker. Compare the conversion rate, management fees, past returns and the flexibility of buy-ins.
An LPP buy-in is deductible from taxable income, within the limits of the Federal Occupational Pension Act (LPP) and the actual pension gap. A buy-in concentrated in a single year may exceed your capacity to absorb it for tax purposes. Spread it over several financial years to smooth the progressivity of the tax.
Pillar 3a is capped each year. For a self-employed person without a 2nd pillar, the cap is higher than for an affiliated employee, within the limits set by the federal administration. Check the caps for the current year with the FSIO (ofas.admin.ch) before paying in.
A point of method: ask each institution for a pension plan quantified over 20 years, with explicit assumptions. Compare projections built on the same bases, otherwise the comparison is misleading.

6. Validate with an independent broker and keep to the calendar

An independent broker compares several insurers without being tied to any one of them. They save you time on collecting quotes and on reading the general conditions. Check that they are entered in the register of insurance intermediaries maintained by FINMA (finma.ch).
Before signing, require comparable quotes: same waiting period, same insured income, same deductible, same professional liability sum insured. Quotes built on different parameters cannot be compared.
Calendar to keep to:
  • Before 30 November: LAMal termination if you are changing insurer.
  • From the start of the activity: registration with the AVS compensation fund.
  • Before the practice opens: professional liability and loss-of-earnings cover in force.
  • Within the year: LPP decision and buy-in plan.
If you also want to protect your family, the question of death cover arises: the article on how much life insurance a doctor needs in Switzerland helps you set a capital sum consistent with your liabilities.

Pitfalls to avoid

Five mistakes recur among doctors and dentists setting up in practice:
  • Confusing basic and supplementary insurance. LAMal is compulsory; supplementary insurance falls under the Federal Insurance Contract Act (LCA) and can be refused on the basis of health questions.
  • Choosing too short a waiting period. A 30-day period inflates the premium when your cash flow could absorb 60 or 90 days.
  • Not readjusting professional liability cover after Tardoc. Your insured value is based on old billing volumes.
  • Spreading an LPP buy-in badly. Concentrating everything in a single year reduces the tax efficiency.
  • Terminating out of time. A LAMal termination received on 2 December is not valid for 1 January.
Each of these mistakes can be corrected before signing, rarely afterwards. The cost of a check is low compared with a year of badly calibrated premiums.

Checklist: three steps to start this week

Do you have five minutes? Start these three actions:
  • Gather your current policies: LAMal, professional liability, loss of earnings, LPP, 3rd pillar. For each one, note the annual premium, the expiry date and the notice period for termination.
  • Calculate your insured income: take your net self-employed income for the last two years or your forecast turnover less costs. This figure serves as the basis for loss-of-earnings cover and LPP.
  • Request two to three comparable quotes: same parameters for each insurer, via an independent broker registered with FINMA.
Premiums and caps change every year. Always check the amounts for the current year on priminfo.admin.ch, bag.admin.ch and ofas.admin.ch before deciding.
"This article, published by medcourtage.ch (broker registered with FINMA under no. F01502264), is provided for information purposes only and constitutes neither legal, tax or insurance advice nor a contractual offer; for any decision, consult a qualified specialist."

FAQ

No. Compulsory health insurance guarantees the same benefits with all insurers. Only the premium, the deductible and the insurance model (family doctor, HMO, Telmed) vary. The official comparison tool is priminfo.admin.ch.

With the standard deductible, notice of termination must reach your insurer by 30 November at the latest for a change on 1 January. Check the date of receipt, not merely the date your letter was sent.

No, affiliation is optional for the self-employed. It is possible with a pension institution and allows contributions and buy-ins to be deducted from taxable income, within the legal limits.

The waiting period of 30, 60 or 90 days depends on your cash flow. A long period reduces the premium, but your fixed costs (rent, salaries) must be covered during that time. Calculate this amount before choosing.

Tardoc does not change the nature of your cover, but it does alter the billing structure for procedures. Recalculate the insured value and the volume of procedures with your broker so that the premium reflects your real exposure.

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Compare your four funds with an independent broker

We bring LAMal, loss of earnings, LPP and professional liability together in a comparison built on your real figures. Comparable quotes, no obligation.

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MedCourtage Team

30 October 2026

2026-10-30

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