Zurich First-HandUp to CHF 1,200 towards health insurance premiums – how the city plans to implement the initiative
Around 90,000 city residents would be able to apply for a yearly premium supplement. Cost: about CHF 60 million a year. The first payments would come in 2028 at the earliest.
On 30 November 2025, the city’s voters approved the premium relief initiative (Prämienentlastungs-Initiative). The city executive has now sent the city parliament an ordinance setting out how the city’s supplement will work.
Who would get it
Adults living in the City of Zurich who are entitled to the canton’s individual premium reduction (IPV) and do not receive social assistance, supplementary benefits (Ergänzungsleistungen) or bridging benefits. The city estimates that is about 90,000 people. You must apply for it, but because the premium-reduction data already exists, only a little information should be needed.
How much
A yearly lump sum of roughly CHF 200 to 1,200. It equals the difference between premiums in the city (premium region 1) and in rural areas (premium region 3). In 2026, an adult in the city with the lowest deductible pays on average CHF 7,680 a year; in Birmensdorf, CHF 6,528. The supplement would therefore be CHF 1,152.
People with a high deductible (and therefore a lower premium) would get only part of it. The city’s example: with a CHF 2,500 deductible and a 20 per cent share, it would be CHF 230.
What it costs
About CHF 60 million a year, depending on how many people apply. If the city’s finances are poor (a deficit of more than CHF 100 million in the previous year), the city executive could cut the supplement by up to 30 per cent; larger cuts would need the city parliament.