Health Insurance · 2026
Your two offers,<br/>compared.
CSS · Sanitas · a clear recommendation
This report sets out the cover I recommend for you and the reasoning behind every part of it. Nothing in it will be a surprise from our conversation.
It is arranged in nine short chapters: your situation, how each decision was made, the options side by side, and what it costs. Read it through in about ten minutes, or open the contents and jump straight to the part that interests you.
In short
Sanitas — CHF 27/month lower premium, supplementary maternity and a semi-private birth at the Zuger Kantonsspital included, and your GP stays in-network. Roughly CHF 324 saved over the year, with more cover for exactly the things that matter in 2027 — not less.
- 2 persons covered
- Semi-private ward
- No gap in cover
Your situation
A couple, newly landed in Zug.
You both moved to Zug in February — John joined a biotech in Rotkreuz, and Jane runs her design studio freelance. You're expecting your first child in March 2027, which reshapes what good cover looks like for the year ahead: maternity, the hospital you give birth in, and the room you recover in suddenly matter far more than a gym contribution.
Your current CSS offer sits at CHF 538/month for the two of you. From our call, your priorities are a well-covered birth at the Zuger Kantonsspital, the option of a semi-private room, and keeping the monthly cost steady while Jane's freelance income varies. The comparison below holds the franchise and accident cover constant and varies only what genuinely differs.
Our consultation
What mattered most to you.
When we met, you told me three things mattered most: that the birth in March is fully covered with no surprises, that Jane can have a semi-private room with John able to stay, and that the monthly cost stays predictable through a year where Jane's income moves around.
You also asked the two questions every expecting couple asks — whether switching insurer now affects the pregnancy cover, and whether the supplementary needs to be in place before a certain date. I promised a like-for-like comparison that answers both, holds your franchise constant, and shows exactly what the maternity and hospital cover include.
How we evaluated this
Every choice made deliberately.
A premium on its own tells you very little — especially in a year with a birth in it. To judge real value for you, we weighed four things and deliberately ignored marketing tiers that won't affect your actual cost or care:
Total cost across the year
Not just the monthly premium, but the franchise and the expected out-of-pocket for a year that includes a birth. A cheaper premium with a weaker maternity contribution can cost more in practice.
Fit to your priorities
We scored cover only on what you told us matters — maternity, the semi-private room, and a predictable monthly cost — not on features you will never use.
Hospital & continuity
Whether the Zuger Kantonsspital and your chosen room tier are covered, so the birth happens where you want it with no gap.
Service & claims
How quickly each insurer settles claims and how good their digital tools are — based on our day-to-day experience handling maternity claims.
Why we proposed this
Why this, for you two.
Each choice below is here for a specific reason tied to what you told me.
Sanitas as your insurer
Fast maternity claims handling and a supplementary range built around exactly the semi-private birth experience you described — without charging separately for the extras CSS bundles as paid riders.
Semi-private hospital cover
You asked for a two-bed room and for John to be able to stay. Sanitas' Hospital Top tier covers a semi-private room Switzerland-wide, including the Zuger Kantonsspital, at a lower premium than CSS' equivalent.
Maternity package active now
Both plans cover statutory maternity, but Sanitas' supplementary maternity — extra check-ups, breastfeeding support, a private midwife — is included where CSS sells it as an add-on. With a March due date, having it active now matters.
The comparison
Side by side, line by line.
| CSS | Sanitas | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic insurance (KVG) | ||
| Monthly premium (couple)The mandatory basic cover — identical benefits by law, only the price differs. | CHF 612 | CHF 588 |
| Franchise (each)Held constant so we compare like for like. | CHF 2'500 | CHF 2'500 |
| ModelSame access model — your GP stays first point of contact. | Family doctor | Family doctor |
| Maternity & outpatient (VVG) | ||
| Supplementary maternityExtra check-ups, breastfeeding support, private midwife. You flagged the birth as the priority — CSS charges extra for it. | Add-on, +CHF 28/mo | Included |
| Outpatient supplementaryReimbursement for physio, glasses, alternative medicine. | 75% | 90% |
| Worldwide travel coverBoth cover emergencies abroad. | Included | Included |
| Hospital (VVG) | ||
| Hospital tierTwo-bed room and the option for John to stay — see the next page. | General | Semi-private |
| Zuger KantonsspitalWhere the birth happens, and in which room. | Basic ward only | Semi-private |
| Free choice of hospitalWhere you may be treated. | Canton only | Switzerland-wide |
| Total monthly premium (couple)Everything above combined — the figure that hits your budget. | CHF 538 | CHF 511 |
Basic insurance (KVG)
The mandatory basic cover — identical benefits by law, only the price differs.
Held constant so we compare like for like.
Same access model — your GP stays first point of contact.
Maternity & outpatient (VVG)
Extra check-ups, breastfeeding support, private midwife. You flagged the birth as the priority — CSS charges extra for it.
Reimbursement for physio, glasses, alternative medicine.
Both cover emergencies abroad.
Hospital (VVG)
Two-bed room and the option for John to stay — see the next page.
Where the birth happens, and in which room.
Where you may be treated.
Everything above combined — the figure that hits your budget.
Cost at a glance
Your monthly investment.
Side by side, here is what each plan costs the two of you per month — and over a full year. Sanitas is the lower of the two while giving you more cover for the birth.
Member by member
What each premium covers.
Your couple's premium broken down per person, so you can see exactly where the cost sits.
- Basic (KVG)CHF 169
- Supplementary + maternityCHF 120
- Basic (KVG)CHF 169
- Supplementary (VVG)CHF 53
Hospital cover, explained
Three tiers, one right choice.
Hospital cover is the supplementary that decides your room, whether John can stay, and where in Switzerland Jane can give birth. For a couple expecting a child, it is the single biggest comfort difference between plans — so it is worth understanding the three tiers:
General
Shared room (up to 4 beds) in your canton of residence, treated by the doctor on duty. Fully covered by basic insurance — but no semi-private room and limited room for a partner to stay.
Semi-private
Two-bed room and free choice of hospital across Switzerland, with more attending-physician continuity and room for John to stay over after the birth. The balanced choice for your March due date.
Private
Single room and free choice of the chief physician (Chefarzt) Switzerland-wide. Maximum comfort and privacy for the birth — the highest premium.
Recommended
Sanitas — more cover, less cost.
Sanitas — CHF 27/month lower premium, supplementary maternity and a semi-private birth at the Zuger Kantonsspital included, and your GP stays in-network. Roughly CHF 324 saved over the year, with more cover for exactly the things that matter in 2027 — not less.
The difference comes down to the birth. Sanitas bundles the supplementary maternity and the semi-private hospital cover that CSS sells as paid riders. Once you account for those add-ons, CSS is effectively around CHF 55/month more expensive for the cover you actually want this year.
Because the franchise and accident cover are identical, this is a clean upgrade rather than a trade-off — you are not taking on more risk to save money. The one reason to stay with CSS would be a strong preference for their branch network in Zug; for everything tied to March, Sanitas is the better fit. Importantly, switching now does not affect the pregnancy: the supplementary simply needs to be active before the birth, which we will put in place this month.
— Nicole Bohne
Your documents
Your offers, ready.
Next steps
Ready to switch to Sanitas before March?.
Book the call below. We go through the applications together and settle anything still open.
I prepare every application, you sign, and I handle the insurer and the cancellation timing.
Premiums are confirmed by the insurer and the cover runs from your arrival date, with no gap.
Prepared by Nicole Bohne, Expat Savvy, 24 June 2026. Figures are taken from the offers provided and may change; final premiums are confirmed by the insurer at application. Expat Savvy is a registered insurance intermediary (FINMA F01536402). This document is informational and not a binding offer.