Benefits standard across all plans
| Daily Ward and Treatment Charges & Surgery | As Charged |
| Cancer Treatment and Kidney Dialysis | |
| Major Organ Transplant | |
| Pregnancy and Delivery-Related Complications Benefit | |
| Lifetime Claim limit | Unlimited |
| Last Entry Age / Maximum Coverage Age | 75 / Lifetime |
| Deductibles per policy year | Class C $1,500, Class B2 $2,000, Class B1 $2,500, Class A & Private hospital $3,500 |
| Co-insurance | 10% |
Key benefits
Benefit with highest limit
| Insurer | Pre- & Post-Hospitalisation (Days) | Community Hospital | Deductibles (Per Policy Year)Day surgery / Short stay wards | Policy Year Limit |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max A | Panel: 13 / 13 mths Non-panel: 100 / 100 days | As Charged | 2K | Panel: $2MNon-panel $1M |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth P PLUS | Panel: 120 / 365 days Non-panel: 120 / 180 days | Sub-acute Care: $1,100/day Rehabilitation Care: $780/day | $3.5K | $1.5M |
| HSBC Life Shield A | 180 / 365 days | As Charged (up to 45 days) | $3K | Panel: $2.5M Non-panel $1M |
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Preferred | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 100 / 100 days | As Charged (up to 90 days for each admission) | $2K – $3.5K | $1.5M |
| Prudential PruShield Premier | 180 / 365 days | As Charged | $1K-$2K | $1.2M |
| Singlife Shield Plan 1 | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 90 / 180 days | As Charged | $2K – $3.5K | Panel with pre-auth: $2.5M Non-panel $1M |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield Private | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 90 / 180 days | As Charged (up to 45 days) | $2K-$3K | Panel: $1.6M Non-panel $600K |
Cancer benefits
| Insurer | Outpatient Cancer Treatment Monthly Limits Drugs on Cancer drug list (CDL) | Outpatient Cancer Drug Services | Outpatient Cancer Drug Treatment Drugs NOT on Cancer drug list (CDL) |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max A | 5x Medishield Life limit (Up to 10x with AIA Max A Cancer Care Booster) | 5x Medishield Life limit (Up to 10x with AIA Max A Cancer Care Booster) | Up to $200,000/ yr with AIA Max A cancer Care Booster, otherwise $0 |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth P PLUS | 5x MSHL limit (As charged with TotalCare riders) | 5x MSHL limit (As charged with TotalCare riders) | Up to S$120,000/ yr with Totalcare riders, otherwise $0 |
| HSBC Life Shield A | 5x MSHL limits | 5x MSHL limits | S$30,000 /mth |
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Preferred | 5x MSHL limit(Up to 10x with rider) | 5x MSHL limit | Up to S$15,000/ mth |
| Prudential PruShield Premier | 5x MSHL limits (Up to 15x with PruExtra rider) | 5x MSHL limits (Up to 15x with PruExtra rider) | Up to S$150,000 / yr with PruExtra rider, otherwise $0 |
| Singlife Shield Plan 1 | 5x MSHL limits | 5x MSHL limits | Up to S$30,000/ yr with Health Plus riders, otherwise $0 |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield Private | 4x MSHL limit | 4x MSHL limit | Up to S$20,000/ yr with Premier rider, Up to $5,000 with Key rider, otherwise $0. |
Additional benefits
| Insurer | Inpaitent Psychiatric | Living Donor Organ Transplant as insured | Congenital Abnormalities Benefit | Inpatient Palliative Care | Emergency / Planned overseas treatment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max A | $5K/yr (Additional post-hospitalisation psychiatric treatment of $5K/yr within 200 days after Confinement) | $60K/transplant | As Charged | As Charged | Reimburse the Eligible Expenses (Benefit payable shall be limited to the level of Reasonable and Customary charges in a Singapore Private Hospital) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth P PLUS | $25K/yr (Including pre & post hospitalisation benefits) | $60K/transplant | $20K/yr (Within 730 days of last policy effective date) As Charged(After 730 days from last policy effective date) | $800/day | As Charged but limited to costs of Singapore private hospitals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HSBC Life Shield A | Up to $5K, capped at 35 days / policy yr (Additional post-hospitalisation psychiatric treatment of $5,000 / policy yr, within 200 days after discharge) | $60K/transplant | As Charged(with 12-mth waiting period) | As Charged | As Charged (pegged to Reasonable and Customary charges of Singapore Private Hospitals) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Preferred | $7K/yr | $60K/transplant | As Charged (with 12-mth waiting period) | As Charged | As Charged but limited to costs of Singapore private hospitals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prudential PruShield Premier | $4K/yr | $60K/yr | $20K/yr (If diagnosed or symptoms first appear within 24 mths) As Charged (If diagnosed or symptoms first appear after 24 mths) | As Charged (paying the lower of:- the overseas charges; or- in accordance with a Singapore Private Hospital’s charges) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singlife Shield Plan 1 | As Charged (up to 60 days) [with 10-mth waiting period] $500/day (up to 35 days) [without waiting period] | $50K/lifetime | As Charged(with 12-mth waiting period) | As Charged but limited to costs of Singapore private hospitals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield Private | $8K/yr (Includes post hospitalisation psychiatric treatment up to 90 days) | $60K/transplant | As Charged(with 24-mth waiting period) | As Charged (limited to Panel charges and subject to Pro-ration factor) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Insurer | Free new-born benefit | Congenital Abnormalities Benefit of Insured’s biological child from birth | Pregnancy complications |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max A | [Only for insured female] $20K/lifetime. Limited to $5K/child | As charged | |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth P PLUS | $20K/lifetime. Limited to $5,000 / child | As charged | |
| HSBC Life Shield A | As charged | ||
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Preferred | As charged | ||
| Prudential PruShield Premier | As charged | ||
| Singlife Shield Plan 1 | $50K/yr | As charged | |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield Private | As charged |
Benefits standard across all plans
| Daily Ward and Treatment Charges & Surgery | As Charged |
| Cancer Treatment and Kidney Dialysis | |
| Major Organ Transplant | |
| Pregnancy and Delivery-Related Complications Benefit | |
| Lifetime Claim limit | Unlimited |
| Last Entry Age / Maximum Coverage Age | 75 / Lifetime |
| Deductibles per policy year | Class C $1,500, Class B2 $2,000, Class B1 $2,500, Class A and Private hospital $3,500 |
| Co-insurance | 10% |
Key benefits
Benefit with highest limit
| Insurer | Pre- & Post-Hospitalisation (Days) | Community Hospital | Deductibles (Per Policy Year) Day surgery / Short stay wards | Policy Year Limit |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max B | 180 / 180 days (with additional 100 days for 30 critical illnesses) | As Charged | $2K | $1M Additional $75K (for 30 Critical Illnesses) |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth A PLUS | Panel: 120 / 365 days Non-panel: 120 / 180 days | Sub-acute Care: $1,100/day Rehabilitation Care: $780/day | $1.5K – $3.5K | $1M |
| HSBC Life Shield Plan B | 180 / 365 days | As Charged (up to 45 days) | $3K | $550K |
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Advantage | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 100 / 100 days | As Charged (up to 90 days for each admission) | $2K – $5.25K | $500K |
| Prudential PruShield Plus | 180 / 365 days | As Charged | $1.5K – $2K | $600K / Unlimited |
| Singlife Shield Plan 2 | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 90 / 180 days | As Charged | $2K – $3.5K | $1M Additional $100K (for 5 Critical Illnesses) |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield A | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 90 / 180 days | As Charged (up to 45 days) | $2K – $3K | $600K |
Cancer benefits
| Insurer | Outpatient Cancer Treatment Monthly Limits Drugs on Cancer drug list (CDL) | Outpatient Cancer Drug Services | Outpatient Cancer Drug Treatment Drugs NOT on Cancer drug list (CDL) |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max B | 5x MSHL limits (Up to 10x with AIA Max A Cancer Care Booster) | 5x Medishield Life limit (Up to 8x with AIA Max B) | Up to $50K/yr with AIA Max B, otherwise $0 |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth A PLUS | 5x MSHL limits (Up to 12x with rider) | 5x MSHL limit (As charged with riders) | Up to S$120K/yr with rider, otherwise $0 |
| HSBC Life Shield Plan B | 5x MSHL limits | 5x MSHL limits | S$30K/mth |
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Advantage | 4x MSHL limits (Up to 8x with rider) | 4x MSHL limit | Up to S$7K/mth |
| Prudential PruShield Plus | 5x MSHL limits (Up to 15x with rider) | 5x MSHL limits (Up to 15x with rider) | Up to S$150K/yr with rider, otherwise $0 |
| Singlife Shield Plan 2 | 5x MSHL limits | 5x MSHL limits | Up to S$30K/yr with rider, otherwise $0 |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield A | 4x MSHL limits | 4x MSHL limit | Up to S$20K/yr with Premier rider, Up to $5K/yr with Key rider, otherwise $0. |
Additional benefits
| Insurer | Pre- & Post-Hospitalisation (Days) | Community Hospital | Deductibles (Per Policy Year) Day surgery / Short stay wards | Policy Year Limit |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max B | 180 / 180 days (with additional 100 days for 30 critical illnesses) | As Charged | $2K | $1M Additional $75K (for 30 Critical Illnesses) |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth A PLUS | Panel: 120 / 365 days Non-panel: 120 / 180 days | Sub-acute Care: $1,100/day Rehabilitation Care: $780/day | $1.5K – $3.5K | $1M |
| HSBC Life Shield Plan B | 180 / 365 days | As Charged (up to 45 days) | $3K | $550K |
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Advantage | 100 / 100 days | As Charged (up to 90 days for each admission) | $2K – $5.25K | $500K |
| Prudential PruShield Plus | 180 / 365 days | As Charged | $1.5K – $2K | $600K / Unlimited |
| Singlife Shield Plan 2 | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 90 / 180 days | As Charged | $2K – $3.5K | $1M Additional $100K (for 5 Critical Illnesses) |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield A | Panel: 180 / 365 days Non-panel: 90 / 180 days | As Charged (up to 45 days) | $2K – $3K | $600K |
Pregnancy related benefits
| Insurer | Free new-born benefit | Congenital Abnormalities Benefit of Insured’s biological child from birth | Pregnancy complications |
| AIA HealthShield Gold Max B | [Only for insured female] $16,000/lifetime. Limited to $4,000/child | As charged | |
| Great Eastern GREAT SupremeHealth A PLUS | $16,000/lifetime. Limited to $4,000/child | As charged | |
| HSBC Life Shield Plan B | As charged | ||
| Income Enhanced IncomeShield Advantage | As charged | ||
| Prudential PruShield Plus | As charged | ||
| Singlife Shield Plan 2 | $50,000/yr | As charged | |
| Raffles Health Insurance Raffles Shield A | As charged |
Riders attached to IPs
Value for money with higher out of pocket
Lower overall out of pocket for panel claim
Plan rider | AIA Max VitalHealth A rider | Great Eastern GREAT Totalcare P rider | HSBC Life Enhanced care A rider | Income Deluxe rider | PRUExtra Premier CoPay / PRUExtra Preferred CoPay rider | Singlife Health Plus Private Prime rider | Raffles Key Rider | |||||||
| Panel & Non-panel with pre-authorisation | Non-panel w/o pre-authorisation | Panel with pre-authorisation | Non-panel | Panel | Non-panel | Panel | Non-panel | Panel | Non-panel | Panel with pre-authorisation | Non-panel | Panel | Non-panel | |
| Deductible | $0 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | 5% of deductible | $500 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | |
| Co-payment | 5% capped at $3,000/yr | 5% | 5% capped at $3,000/yr | 5% | 5% capped at $3,000/yr | 5% | 5% capped at $3,000/yr | 5% | 50% of co-insurance amount | 5%, capped at $3,000/yr | 5%, capped at $12,750/yr | 5%, capped at $3,000/yr | 5% | |
| Overall out of pocket | $3,000 | $7,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $6,500 | $3,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 | $3,500 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Claims based pricing | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | |||||||
Plan rider | AIA Max VitalHealth A Value rider | Great Eastern GREAT TotalCare P Select rider | Income Classic Care rider | PRUExtra Premier Lite CoPay rider | Singlife Health Plus Private Lite rider | |||||||||
| Panel & Non-panel with pre-authorisation | Non-panel w/o pre-authorisation | Panel | Non-panel | Panel | Non-panel | Panel | Non-panel | Panel with pre-authorisation | Non-panel | |||||
| Deductible | $3,500 | $3,500 | $0 | Deductible or 5% whichever higher | $0 | $2,000 | 50% of deductible amount, capped at $1,750/yr | 100% of deductible | ||||||
| Co-payment | 10%, capped at $6,000/yr | 10% | 5% | 10% capped at $3,000/yr | 10% | 50% of co-insurance amount | 5%, capped at $3,000/yr | 5%, capped at $12,750/yr | ||||||
| Overall out of pocket | $6,000 | $14,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $12,000 | $3,000 | $6,575 | $6,500 | $8,500 | ||||
| Claims based pricing | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | |||||||||
Source: MOH, Income, AIA, Singlife, HSBC Life, Great Eastern, Prudential, Raffles Health Insurance. Only As Charged plans are featured
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Understanding MediShield Life
MediShield Life is designed to cover B2/C class ward costs.
MediShield Life is designed to be affordable for the masses, which means its coverage is comparatively minimal.
According to the Ministry of Health, some two-thirds of patients in Singapore opt for Class B2 or Class C wards when admitted to hospitals.
If you’d prefer to stay in a higher class ward or in a private hospital, MediShield Life benefits offered in this higher class wards will be pro-rated based on the costs in Class B2/C wards before claims are computed. You can choose to pay for the difference using your MediSave, cash savings, or an IP.
Source: MOH
Claim limits are capped by category with MediShield Life
In the unfortunate event that you get hospitalised, the maximum claimable limit for surgeries is $2,600. Considering surgery fees tend to run into the thousands, it’s easy to see why Singaporeans and PRs turn to Integrated Shield Plans to lighten the brunt of costly surgical procedures.
MediShield Life also doesn’t cover you for pre- or post-hospitalisation treatments. This include medical consultations and scans, physiotherapy, or post-surgery follow-up sessions. In fact, such treatments often amount to more than the actual surgery itself, making it all the more important that you factor in these additional costs.
| Bill Item | MediShield Life alone | With an Integrated Shield Plan |
| Surgical fees | Up to S$2,600 | Up to annual claim limit .e.g S$2 Million |
| Annual limit | S$150,000 | |
| Daily ward charges | S$800/day | |
| Chemotherapy | S$2,000/mth for cancer drug treatment on CDL S$1,200/mth for cancer drug services | Up to 15x monthly MSHL limits |
| Pre- and post hospital medical expenses | S$0 | Up to 365 days pre- and 13 months post- hospital stay |
What’s the difference between hospital wards in Singapore?
In Singapore, there are several kinds of hospital-class wards in public hospitals. Here’s a quick look at how they differ. Facilities may differ depending on which medical institution you’re admitted to.
| Hospital Ward / Class Type | Facilities |
| Public C | Five to six beds No air-conditioning; fan ventilation Shared bathroom |
| Public B2 | Five beds No air-conditioning; fan ventilation Shared bathroom |
| Public B1 | Four beds Air-conditioning with fan ventilation Shared bathroom TV and telephone |
| A1 | One bed Air-conditioning with fan ventilation En suite shower and toilet TV and telephone Day bed |
| Public Private hospital | One bed Air-conditioning TV and telephone Day bed (2-4 beds are available too) |
Extracted from Sengkang General Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital
How does an Integrated Shield Plan complement MediShield Life?
Integrated Shield Plans help to increase your benefits to cover costs of treatments incurred in B1 wards, up to Private hospitals.
Note that there is no duplicate coverage or double premium payment if you opt to have an IP.
Source: MOH
So how much of your bill can you claim for?
Depending on the tier of coverage you have, we have illustrated how the claims will differ.
In general, the cost out of your own pocket will be the lowest when you are covered by an IP and rider, while treated by an panel doctor. The out-of-pocket sum differs slightly from each insurer, Refer to the comparison above with example.
Note: The above diagram is for illustrative purposes only. Please note that pro-ration will apply for private hospital bill or public/restructured hospital class A/B1 ward bill under MediShield Life, which is sized for class B2/C bills.
Types of Integrated Shield Plans available
Private hospital
Public A ward class
Public B ward class
Paying for your Integrated Shield Plans and Rider premiums
The premiums for all hospitalisation insurance increases with age and this applies to the premiums for MediShield Life and IPs too. The increase reflects the higher propensity for older people to require medical treatments.
Annual premiums for your IP can be made via your MediSave account up to a limit. This limit is also known as the Additional Withdrawal Limits. This limit applies to each insured person, and not per medisave account. Which means you could use your MediSave account to pay for your parent’s, spouse’s, sibling’s and children’s IPs and the limits would apply separately.
The limit that Singaporeans and PRs can draw from their MediSave account increases with age, to help accommodate the raised premiums.
This table shows the maximum amount that could be used from the MediSave account to pay for IPs.
| Age | Additional Withdrawal Limit (Annual) |
| 40 and below | S$ 300 |
| 41 to 70 | S$ 600 |
| 71 and above | S$ 900 |
Example:
Paul purchased IPs for himself and his wife. He is 39 years old and his wife 41.
The total withdrawal limits will be S$300 + S$600, totaling S$900 each year. If the premium for the IP is S$350 for himself and S$610 for his wife, he will be able to use S$900 from his MediSave account to pay for his premiums and the remaining S$60 (S$50+S$10) in cash.
Premiums for Riders
Premiums for riders that are attached to your IP can only be paid via cash.
What happens if I need to make a claim under my Integrated Shield Plan?
There are some key points to note when you need to utilise your insurance.
IPs work on a reimbursement basis, which means you will need to pay first and claim from your insurance later. There are some ways to work around having to pay a huge sum upfront.
Depending on whether you have a rider or not, and if you are treated by the insurer’s approved panel doctor, your claim limits will differ. Refer to section above.
Pre-authorisation (Must do if it’s not an emergency)
If you are planning for a procedure in advance, it’s recommended to get a pre-authorisation done before the day of admission.
Benefits of pre-authorisation
- Cashless admission: the bill will be sent to the insurer directly with little to no cash payout required from your end
- Increased claim limits such a longer pre- and post-hospitalisation duration and higher overall claim limits
Letter of Guarantee to waive off deposit (Only for Singaporeans and PRs)
A Letter of Guarantee (LOG) is a letter issued by insurers to selected hospitals to fully or partially waive the hospital upfront cash deposit for hospitalisations or surgeries, based on the estimated portion of the bill covered by the insurance. An LOG can be applied through “Electronic-filing” during the admission process at the hospital. This can reduce the upfront cash deposit amount that you have to make with the hospital.
All IP insurers provide LOGs and you may check with your IP insurer for more information.
If the bill is larger than the LOG amount, upon discharge, you may still be required by your hospital to settle your hospital bill. Once your insurer assesses your claim, the insurer will make payment to the hospital and you will be reimbursed by the hospital.
Common reasons for not providing a Letter of Guarantee
- Estimated bill size is below the deductible
- Duration between policy inception and LOG application is shorter than insurer's stipulated minimum duration for LOG eligibility
- Medical condition is a pre-existing medical condition that the policyholder had before the commencement of the policy
- Medical condition is excluded from the policy
- General exclusions, such as pregnancy and maternity expenses
Source: MOH
Filing of claim
If you are a Singapore citizen or PR, the LOG “Electronic-filing” would mean that your claim has been filed.
If you are a foreigner, in most cases (unless you do a pre-authorisation), you will need to pay for the bill first and get reimbursed after.
Read more about what is covered and what is not under your IP.
How fast are the claims processed?
According to MOH, most claims are processed by the insurer within 2 days, improved from 3 days in 2021.
Source: MOH
1 Median Claims Processing Duration means that 50 out of 100 claims are processed by the insurer within the indicated number of days in the table. 2 75th Percentile Claims Processing Duration means 75 out of 100 claims are processed by the insurer within the indicated number of days in the table. * As RHI was approved to provide IPs from 16 July 2018 onwards, the number of claims processed by RHI is currently insufficient for analysis. Note: The number of days that insurers take to process claims include the time it takes to obtain medical records from claimants or medical institutions
The statistics refer to claims from Integrated Shield Plan and does not include rider claims. It also does not reveal the number of rejected claims and the difficulty of the pre-authorisation of the claims.
How do you know if you have one already?
If you're unsure of whether your current health insurance plan is an Integrated Shield Plan, you can simply log on to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) website to check. Make sure you have your SingPass in order to check.
- Go to cpf.gov.sg
- Log on to my cpf Online Services
- Go to "My Messages"
- See "Insurance" section to see which insurer you are under
- Login to the respective insurer customer portal to retrieve details of your plan.
Managing rising healthcare costs
Research by MOH found that medical bills are 60% higher when there is no need for patients to pay anything. To manage rising healthcare costs, MOH implemented a range of initiatives which included:
- Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee in January 2018
- With effect from 1st April 2021, all IP riders have to incorporate a co-payment of at least 5% and Insurers can set a co-payment cap of S$3,000 or more per policy year. For example, if you incur a hospitalisation bill of S$15,000, a 5% co-payment will mean having to fork out S$750, with the remaining S$14,250 being covered by the private Integrated Shield plan.
- MOH is monitoring doctors who charge excessive fees and will take action against doctors who overcharge or over-service.
For existing policyholders with full riders, we go through the implications of this change in this article.
Some insurers have also implemented a claims based pricing to incentivise those who make no claims. Policyholders who do not make a claim will enjoy a discount off their rider premiums. This will range between 20% to 25%, depending on the insurer.
Prudential has claims-based pricing in place since 2017. Great Eastern has implemented it since March 2021 and AIA in April 2021.
While this appears to benefit healthy policyholders, it could become detrimental when we eventually fall ill. So it will be good to factor in additional funds for increased premium rates when you draw out your budget for insurance premiums.
If you do decide to get an Integrated Shield Plan, take the time to properly peruse your options before committing, and consider setting a personal budget you can actually stick to. Getting covered for private hospitals might not be necessary, particularly if you’re concerned about premium costs more than the comfort and convenience.
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