What LAMal covers — with no deductible
Good news: for maternity, basic LAMal covers the specific services (pregnancy check-ups, childbirth, breastfeeding advice) with no deductible or co-payment. You don't pay the usual cost-sharing on these maternity benefits. Basic cover is therefore already solid for a standard pregnancy and delivery in the common ward.
What supplementary cover adds
A supplementary hospital plan lets you give birth in a semi-private or private room, with free choice of maternity unit and doctor, often Switzerland-wide. Some outpatient supplementaries add services around birth (prep courses beyond the basic allowance, infant osteopathy depending on the contract). It's mainly comfort and choice at stake.
Subscribe BEFORE pregnancy
Crucial point: supplementaries (hospital, outpatient) fall under the LCA and often impose waiting periods, and an insurer can treat an ongoing pregnancy as a known fact to declare. In practice, it's often too late to take out maternity supplementary cover once pregnant. If you're planning a child, set up the cover beforehand.