It depends if you are coming here to start work immediately, or coming to Switzerland for another reason.
If you want to save a couple of months health insurance whilst still covered by the foreign one, then you would have to delay registering your arrival in Switzerland.
Alternatively you could ask your chosen health insurance provider here if they will waive the fit 2 months as you are covered by another provider.

*
Note: Alternatively you could ask your chosen health insurance provider here if they will waive the
*first*
2 months as you are covered by another provider.

(If you wish to start paying only later than the official date, you will have to ask your chosen provider if they can do this, i.e. waive the amount.
In exceptional circumstances, when the amount that has to be paid for months which have already gone by, the amount for the 'past' can be waived.
The reason you need to give is that the amount needed to be paid is too onerous for you (and/or your family) to pay.
Be aware that your chosen provider may never even have had such a case where they have waived that amount.)

There is another thread about this here: Starting Insurance Date

Where does that info come from Plumtree? Cause if you can't afford to support yourself here then your permit would be in jeopardy and paying for Swiss health insurance is part of that. If you can't afford the insurance what else can't you afford? the Swiss will be wondering.

You have to contact the health insurance provider to establish if they will backdate to the 1st of the month of the arrival date in the permit, or if they are prepared to bill you from the 2nd, 3rd or 4th month only. The reason you need to give is that the amount needed to be paid is too onerous for you (and/or your family) to pay. Some providers will let you pay from when you want to, others may be more strict and backdate. You can also cite that you are covered by a foreign provider for a limited period of time at the beginning of your stay, this may assist your argument in not needing/wanting/being able to pay all of the months.

Stop peddling false information again and again! When you move here, you ahve to register with the Commune or Gemeinde within the legal framework of around 2 weeks - and you have to be insured from the first of the month of when you register.

And yes, had we known this, we would have not gone to register as soon as we had arrived at the very end of a month (from memory on 26th of March 2009) and registered on 1st of April and saved 1 month's insurance. But not 2 or 3 months. What do you mean by 'covered by your own country's insurance'? The EHIC is only for emergencies- so does not cover you adequately, and is NOT for people who have moved out of their country anyhow- whether you work or not (we are both retired for instance!). We did ask our insurance if we could pay from 1st of April, but they said no, insurance had to be back dated to 1st day of month of arrival.

Wrong, there are exceptions. There is no false information being peddled in my post!
If you wish to start paying only later than the official date, you will have to ask your chosen provider if they can do this, i.e. waive the amount.
In exceptional circumstances, when the amount that has to be paid for months which have already gone by, the amount for the 'past' can be waived.
The reason you need to give is that the amount needed to be paid is too onerous for you (and/or your family) to pay.
Be aware that your chosen provider may never even have had such a case where they have waived that amount.
Some people may take out insurance in their home country before they leave. Not everyone comes here with a job lined up. Some will be travelling and/or have tourist status for a while, this at some stage may become resident status. I don't think anyone wants to pay two lots of insurance for the same month(s).

Links Plumtree, links. You give this info, but never provide a link for verification. Is this supposed info stated on any Swiss health insurer's website? If so where?

It could be on their sites, I don't know. Although it wouldn't be in their interest to display it, as they'd make less money that way.

Swiss Law is clear- you have to have insurance from the day of arrival- but have 3 months to organise this (and backdate to day of arrival)- if you come to live here, to work, or not to work. The only choice insurances have, legally, is to choose to not back date to first of the month of arrival. I wrote to Lamal to check this some time back, and they were very clear on this.

Which is by and large what has been stated previously! People are now asking for links and proof. You are stating something too, like me, but you are also not providing a link. The fact that you are not providing a valid link on this thread could be moaned at just us equally as my not providing one can be.

Info and link provided:

06. Within which period do I have to take out insurance, and what are the consequences of delayed registration?

You have to take out health insurance within three months of the beginning of compulsory insurance (e.g. of the date you take up residence or give birth to a child in Switzerland). The insurance is then back-dated to the beginning of compulsory insurance. Since expenses are reimbursed retroactively, consequently it is mandatory to pay the premiums retroactively from the beginning of coverage on.

If you do not meet this three-month deadline, your insurance cover will only take effect from the date you register, and you will have to pay a premium supplement unless you can give good reasons for the delay.

http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/krank...x.html?lang=en

Presumably they mean from the date you register with the health insurance provider?

The difference is that Odile has provided a valid link on numerous occasions in numerous threads on this forum.
You have never done he same to back up your claims.

I have on occasion. Please don't be too harsh with others. Sometimes it is difficult to find precise information.

Thank you BM- as you say, several times- including their official reply- just can't be asked to look for it again.

Until posted though on this thread, it is merely a case of bandying information about!

On topic.

Cover is required from the date you become Swiss resident. They do ALLOW some time to arrange this, but it's a grace period not free, and unless you get lucky the insurance company will normally back date it to the 1st of the month in which you became Swiss resident.

OFF topic.
Bye bye plumtroll.... the normal good and factual EF information service shall resume. Nice one Ace1

Thanks Ace1

A friend of a friend arrived here in CH, never signed up for insurance until over a year later, and the policy was not backdated at all. Woohooo! saving thousands of chuffs...

They were under the impression that after you've registered as living here, they give you a few months to sign up - but if you don't sign up, the gemeinde or kanton will automatically sign you up themselves on a policy. I don't know if that's true or not, but in this case the person saved a lot of CHF.

May have just had to do with being really nice to people on the phone? Who knows..