Swiss health insurance and pregnancy: what is covered, and what you pay
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
Swiss basic insurance pays maternity services without deductible or co-payment: seven check-ups, two routine scans, the birth, breastfeeding counselling and 10 to 16 midwife home visits. From week 13 of pregnancy until 56 days after the birth, ordinary medical care is also free of cost-sharing. Insure your baby within three months of birth so cover starts from day one.
First: you must be insured
Swiss health insurance is private, compulsory and individual. Under the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG, article 3), everyone living in Switzerland must take out basic insurance within three months of taking up residence or of being born in Switzerland. The Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV, article 1) includes foreign nationals with a short-term or residence permit valid for at least three months.
- Join on time and your cover starts from the day you took up residence (KVG, article 5).
- Join late and cover only starts when you join; if the delay is not excusable, you pay a premium surcharge.
- You choose freely among authorised insurers (KVG, article 4). The services of basic insurance are set by law and are the same everywhere; premiums and insurance models differ.
Some people are exempt, for example people who stay insured in an EU or EFTA country because of their work there under the free movement rules (KVV, article 2). Diplomats and staff of international organisations may have their own scheme. If you are in one of these situations, ask your employer before your first appointment.
The normal rules on cost-sharing
Outside pregnancy, you share costs in three ways (KVG article 64; KVV articles 93, 103 and 104), as of October 2026:
| Adults | Children | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual deductible (franchise) | CHF 300 ordinary; or 500, 1 000, 1 500, 2 000 or 2 500 by choice | None by law; 100 to 600 by choice |
| Co-payment (Selbstbehalt, quote-part) | 10 % above the deductible, up to CHF 700 a year | 10 %, up to CHF 350 a year |
| Hospital contribution | CHF 15 a day | None |
The maternity rules: what you do not pay
The law (KVG, article 64, paragraph 7) says the insurer may not charge any deductible or co-payment for:
- The special maternity services (KVG, article 29): check-ups during and after pregnancy by a doctor or a midwife; the birth at home, in hospital or in a birth centre, with a doctor or a midwife; necessary breastfeeding counselling; and the care and stay of your healthy newborn in hospital with you.
- Any other covered medical care provided from the 13th week of pregnancy, during the birth and up to eight weeks after it. The ordinance sets the end at the 56th day after the birth, at midnight, and asks the doctor following your pregnancy to note the start of week 13 on the bill (KVV, article 105).
The CHF 15 daily hospital contribution is not charged during that period either (KVV, article 104).
| Period | Maternity services | Other medical care |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 12 | Free of cost-sharing | Normal deductible and co-payment |
| Week 13 to birth | Free of cost-sharing | Free of cost-sharing |
| Birth to day 56 | Free of cost-sharing | Free of cost-sharing |
| After day 56 | Postnatal check-up still covered as maternity | Normal rules again |
Good to know
Weeks 1 to 12 are the gap. A doctor's visit for a complication or for nausea in the first trimester may count towards your deductible. Ask your insurer how it handles it, and keep your bills. Remember that your premium is still due all through the pregnancy.
What basic insurance pays: the list
The Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV, articles 13 to 16) sets out the details, as of October 2026:
| Service | Covered |
|---|---|
| Check-ups, normal pregnancy | 7 examinations, by a doctor or a midwife |
| Check-ups, high-risk pregnancy | As often as clinically needed |
| Routine ultrasounds | 2: at 12 to 14 weeks and at 20 to 23 weeks (more if high-risk) |
| First-trimester screening | Risk assessment for trisomy 21, 18 and 13, after counselling and consent |
| NIPT | From week 12, if the risk is 1 in 1 000 or higher, after counselling and written consent |
| Pre-eclampsia screening | For single pregnancies, at the 12 to 14 week visit (since 1 July 2026) |
| Amniocentesis, CVS | In the cases listed by the ordinance |
| Antenatal preparation | CHF 150 towards a midwife's course or a preparation conversation |
| Birth | At home, in hospital or in a birth centre |
| Midwife at home | In the 56 days after birth: up to 16 visits after a first baby, a caesarean, a multiple or premature birth; up to 10 otherwise; plus up to 5 second visits in the first 10 days |
| Breastfeeding counselling | Up to 3 sessions |
| Postnatal check-up | 1, between weeks 6 and 10 |
| After a miscarriage (weeks 13 to 23) | A follow-up examination and up to 10 midwife home visits |
The ordinance also encourages a conversation with a midwife in the second trimester when a doctor does all the check-ups. To find a midwife, use the Swiss Federation of Midwives' search at hebammensuche.ch, and book your postnatal midwife during pregnancy.
What is usually not covered
- A private or semi-private room, or choosing your own doctor in hospital: typically supplementary insurance.
- Extra ultrasounds without a medical reason.
- Antenatal courses beyond the CHF 150 contribution, doulas, pregnancy yoga.
- Cord blood banking.
- A hospital or clinic outside what basic insurance covers for you: ask your insurer before you register.
Supplementary insurance and maternity waiting periods
Supplementary insurance is a separate, private contract. Unlike basic insurance, its content is not set by the KVG: the insurer may ask health questions, refuse an application or set conditions. Many supplementary policies apply a waiting period for maternity benefits, which means a pregnancy that starts, or is already under way, too soon after you sign may not be covered by that policy. The length and the details are in each insurer's general conditions.
What to do:
Insuring your baby
Your baby needs their own basic insurance within three months of birth (KVG, article 3). If you do it within three months, cover starts on the day of birth (KVG, article 5); if you are late, it starts only when you apply, possibly with a surcharge.
The care of your healthy newborn while staying in hospital with you is a maternity service (KVG, article 29). Many parents contact the insurer before the due date: ask how your insurer handles it. Children have no legal deductible, but a 10 % co-payment up to CHF 350 a year; you can choose a deductible of 100 to 600 for a lower premium.
All the other steps, from the maternity allowance to your baby's residence permit, are in our Switzerland expat hub and our page on maternity leave in Switzerland.
Questions parents ask
Does Swiss health insurance cover pregnancy?
Yes. Basic insurance pays the maternity services listed in the law, including check-ups, routine ultrasounds, the birth, breastfeeding counselling and midwife home visits, without deductible or co-payment.
Do I have to pay my franchise when pregnant?
Not for maternity services. For other medical care, the insurer may not charge your deductible or co-payment from the 13th week of pregnancy until 56 days after the birth.
Is there a waiting period for maternity in Swiss health insurance?
The maternity services of basic insurance are set by law. Supplementary policies are private contracts, and many apply their own waiting period for maternity benefits, so check the conditions before signing.
How many ultrasounds does basic insurance pay?
In a normal pregnancy, two routine scans, at 12 to 14 weeks and at 20 to 23 weeks. In a high-risk pregnancy, as often as clinically needed.
Do I need to insure my newborn?
Yes. Every baby born in Switzerland must be insured within three months of birth. If you do it within that time, cover starts on the day of birth.
Sources
- Fedlex — Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), SR 832.10, articles 3, 4, 5, 29 and 64 checked October 13, 2026
- Fedlex — Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV), SR 832.102, articles 1, 2, 93, 103, 104 and 105 checked October 13, 2026
- Fedlex — Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV), SR 832.112.31, articles 13 to 16 checked October 13, 2026
- Swiss Federation of Midwives — Hebammensuche (midwife search) checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.