Admission depends on the legal regime
The Federal Office of Public Health distinguishes optional daily allowance under the Health Insurance Act from private cover under the Insurance Contract Act. In the former, people meeting statutory conditions have a right to join and reservations for existing illnesses expire after five years. That does not guarantee an offered amount sufficient for your budget. Under private cover, acceptance and exclusions depend on the contract and the insurer's decision.
Read the reservation before comparing prices
Imagine two hypothetical offers: one shows CHF 140 a day with a written exclusion for an identified condition, while the other shows CHF 60 a day with a reservation whose duration needs checking. Neither the headline number nor the monthly premium tells you what a specific claim will pay. Request the exact wording, circumstances covered by the clause and the treatment of complications or unrelated conditions. Do not assume the insurer will limit an exclusion to a verbal description.
Give a complete and consistent application
Answer the questionnaire accurately and ask for clarification if a question is ambiguous. Keep a copy of the answers and final decision in a secure file. Compare recognised income, waiting period, incapacity threshold, duration and evidence required after a claim. Check accident cover and fixed business costs separately; income replacement is not automatically insurance for business expenses.
Avoid a gap when switching
If you already have cover, ask about its termination terms and do not cancel based solely on a quote. Wait for written confirmation of acceptance, start date and reservations on the new contract. Estimate what your cash buffer would need to fund if the excluded condition interrupts work. A higher daily amount can still be useful for other risks, but you need to know what you would pay yourself.
Stress-test both situations in your budget
Calculate how many weeks your cash reserve could fund for an excluded condition and for a covered condition after the waiting period. The required reserve may differ. Also check whether an offer covers fixed expenses or only income and whom to notify if the work changes. These questions clarify the choice between otherwise comparable offers without assuming a future claim will be accepted. Record the answers with the final policy, since the proposal and the final underwriting terms may differ.
Sources & further reading
OFSP / FOPH — Assurance facultative d’indemnités journalières