Do you know that in case you are a Singapore Citizen or Everlasting Resident, you might be lined by MediShield Life? As well as, do you know that two-thirds of Singaporeans and Everlasting Residents have purchased Built-in Defend Plans?
Wait, wait, wait… begin from the start… what’s MediShield Life and what’s an Built-in Defend Plan?
MediShield Life is an enhanced model of MediShield, and was launched final 12 months. Now, each Singapore Citizen and Everlasting Resident is roofed for all times, together with the very outdated and people with pre-existing medical situations. There may be additionally no lifetime declare restrict (and the annual declare restrict has been elevated to $100,000), which suggests you not want to fret that your protection will cease, even in the event you incur excessive medical bills early in life.
Different advantages, such because the day by day ward and surgical declare limits, have additionally modified for the higher. In different phrases, MediShield Life is a major enchancment to our earlier MediShield protection.
Built-in Defend Plans, or IPs, are made up of MediShield Life and extra personal insurance coverage protection offered by personal insurers similar to AIA, Aviva, AXA Life, Nice Jap Life, Revenue and Prudential. You get extra protection past MediShield Life, focused at Class B1 or A wards in public hospitals or personal hospitals, however for a considerably increased premium. Consider IPs as an upsized meal – you get extra but it surely additionally prices extra.
However the launch of MediShield Life final 12 months might have precipitated some confusion. Let’s clear them up:
MYTH 1: If now we have an Built-in Defend Plan, then we don’t have to pay for our MediShield Life premiums, proper?
I stated earlier that IPs are like an upsized fast-food meal. If you upsize your meal, nothing occurs to the primary course. The burger stays the identical dimension, and also you’re nonetheless paying the identical value for it. The extra price goes in the direction of paying for the elevated dimension of the fries and drink.
In the identical means, once you join an IP, you’re nonetheless paying for MediShield Life protection. The additional premium you pay is for the extra protection that the IP provides you, similar to increased ward class protection and extra advantages like pre- and post-hospitalisation advantages (excluding riders, co-insurance and deductibles).
Listed here are 2 different misconceptions Singaporeans have about MediShield Life and IPs:
Extra Particulars
Key Options
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Full protection to your hospitalisation, room, board, medical associated companies, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bills, though co-insurance, deductibles, and pro-ration elements apply
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Full protection for MediSave-approved surgical procedures (all surgical procedures listed in Tables 1A to 7C), though co-insurance, deductibles, and pro-ration elements apply
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As much as 180 days pre-hospitalisation protection for remedies, together with any Accident and Emergency (A&E) remedies 24 hours previous to hospitalisation
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As much as 12 months post-hospitalisation protection for remedies in the event you search therapy at pre-authorised personal hospitals, restructured, or group hospitals
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Protection for deliberate inpatient and emergency remedies in Aviva pre-authorised hospitals
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Protection for main outpatient remedies: kidney dialysis, erythropoietin, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, immunotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, and immunosuppressant medicine for main organ transplant
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Further protection for five vital sicknesses coronary heart assaults, main most cancers, stroke, finish stage lung illness, and finish stage liver illness
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Protection for preventive most cancers surgical procedure when you’ve got beforehand filed a declare for most cancers therapy with Aviva MyShield
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Free protection for new child if each you and your accomplice are Aviva MyShield policyholders
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Discounted premiums to your youngsters if each you and your accomplice are Aviva MyShield policyholders
Phrases and Situations
| Age Restrict | 75 12 months outdated |
|---|---|
| Coverage Yr Restrict | S$150,000 – S$1,000,000 |
| Lifetime Restrict | No restrict |
Hospital Ward Entitlement
| Public | As much as Class A |
|---|---|
| Personal | As much as Customary Room |
Further Advantages
| Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protection | |
|---|---|
| Publish-Hospitalisation Remedy | |
| Unintentional Inpatient Dental Remedy Profit | |
| Emergency Abroad Medical Remedy Profit | |
| Pre-Hospitalisation Remedy |
See all card particulars
MYTH 2: MediShield Life doesn’t give me sufficient protection, that’s why I would like an Built-in Defend Plan
Simply as you don’t have to upsize your meal if the essential meal fills you up, you might also not want the additional protection that an Built-in Defend Plan can provide you. MediShield Life provides you adequate protection, particularly if you wish to keep in a Class B2 or C ward in public hospitals if you find yourself hospitalised.
Why then do individuals wish to upsize their meals? As a result of we might choose to eat a bigger meal, with extra fries and drinks. In the identical means, we might wish to keep in the next ward class in a public hospital, or perhaps a personal hospital if we have to be hospitalised, and the IPs goal protection at this degree.
Notice that MediShield Life does cowl you even in case you are hospitalised in a Class A or B1 ward or in a personal hospital– simply anticipate to finish up paying considerably extra as a result of MediShield Life advantages are pegged to the estimated Class B2 and C wards bills in public hospitals.
Extra Particulars
Key Options
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Full “As Charged” protection for inpatient hospital ward, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), together with associated miscellaneous charges similar to physician’s charges, prescriptions and many others. for all plans
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Full “As Charged” protection for MediShield-approved surgical procedures, together with day surgical procedures for all plans
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Protection for pre-hospitalisation remedies as much as 100 days previous to hospitalisation in the event you visited a non-NTUC panel clinic or physician; as much as 180 days pre-hospitalisation in the event you visited a NTUC panel clinic
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Publish-hospitalisation protection as much as 100 after discharge in case you are visiting a non-NTUC panel clinic or physician; as much as 365 post-discharge in case you are visiting a NTUC panel clinic
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Protection for 90 days of group hospital keep in the event you had been referred by your physician for admission instantly after your discharge from the hospital
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“As Charged” protection for outpatient chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy for most cancers
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“As Charged” protection for renal dialysis, erythropoietin for persistent renal failure, medicine accepted for organ transplant, and long-term parenteral diet
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Different advantages embody post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, congenital abnormalities, being pregnant and delivery-related issues, organ transplant or donation, cell, tissue, and gene remedy, bone marrow transplant, and prosthesis
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Emergency abroad therapy you acquired might be lined as much as the equal of the remedies’ costs in personal hospitals in Singapore
Phrases and Situations
| Age Restrict | 75 12 months outdated |
|---|---|
| Coverage Yr Restrict | S$250,000 – S$1,500,000 |
| Lifetime Restrict | No restrict |
Hospital Ward Entitlement
| Public | As much as Class A |
|---|---|
| Personal | As much as Customary Room |
Further Advantages
| Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protection | |
|---|---|
| Publish-Hospitalisation Remedy | |
| Unintentional Inpatient Dental Remedy Profit | |
| Emergency Abroad Medical Remedy Profit | |
| Pre-Hospitalisation Remedy |
See all card particulars
MYTH 3: MediShield Life premiums are too costly!
The launch of MediShield Life implies that though premiums have elevated in comparison with the earlier MediShield, many Singaporeans are additionally eligible for subsidies to offset the rise. For instance, the Pioneer Technology obtain subsidies of as much as 60% whereas these in lower- to middle-income households obtain subsidies of as much as 50%. However that doesn’t imply that the remainder of us don’t get subsidies as nicely!
For the primary 4 years of MediShield Life (ranging from November 2015), all Singapore Residents are eligible for transitional subsidies, that are utilized to the web improve in MediShield Life premiums (over MediShield premiums).
So, in the event you’re 31 – 40 years of age, and never within the lower- to center revenue group, you possibly can anticipate to pay $167 for MediShield Life premiums after transitional subsidies this 12 months. This involves $14 a month, or lower than $1 a day. Even your morning espresso prices extra! Regardless of the rise in the price of premiums, subsequently, premiums are nonetheless reasonably priced.
Know somebody who’s a part of the Pioneer Technology and of their early 70s? Their month-to-month premium after Pioneer Technology subsidies is $41 a month, or lower than $2 a day. And don’t overlook, as reasonably priced as MediShield Life premiums are, they received’t even have an effect on your cashflow since you possibly can pay for it totally utilizing your Medisave account.
Extra Particulars
Key Options
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Pre-Hospitalisation: Remedy payments lined totally aka “As Charged” inside 100 to 180 days previous to hospitalisation keep
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Hospitalisation: Each day room, ICU, group hospital lined totally
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Publish-Hospitalisation: Therapies lined totally inside 100 to 180 days, or as much as 13 months after hospitalisation for plan A holders searching for remedies with AIA panel medical doctors
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Important Diseases: Protection for 30 vital sicknesses inside 100 days post-hospitalisation, payments lined totally
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Surgical procedure: Covers all MediSave-listed surgical procedures, together with organ and stem cell transplant, and surgical implants
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Being pregnant Issues: Totally covers 26 being pregnant issues, together with ectopic being pregnant, eclampsia, miscarriage, haemorrhage, nonetheless delivery, gestational diabetes, and extra.
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New child Congenital Abnormalities: Covers S$3,000 to S$5,000 per little one for feminine insured’s organic little one
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Organ Transplant: From S$20,000 to S$60,000 protection per transplant in case you are the donor or recipient
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Psychiatric Remedy: From S$1,000 to S$5,000 protection for in- and post-hospital psychiatric remedies per coverage 12 months
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Contains extra protection for COVID-19 free of charge
Phrases and Situations
| Age Restrict | 74 12 months outdated |
|---|---|
| Coverage Yr Restrict | S$150,000 – S$2,000,000 |
| Lifetime Restrict | No restrict |
Hospital Ward Entitlement
| Public | As much as Class A |
|---|---|
| Personal | As much as Customary Room |
Further Advantages
| Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protection | |
|---|---|
| Publish-Hospitalisation Remedy | |
| Unintentional Inpatient Dental Remedy Profit | |
| Emergency Abroad Medical Remedy Profit | |
| Pre-Hospitalisation Remedy |
See all card particulars
However once more, we’re not saying that MediShield Life is best than an IP.
All of it comes all the way down to your ward preferences and whether or not you possibly can afford to pay the upper premiums of IPs. Are you happy with sharing a Class B2 or C ward with others? Then you could want to follow the protection MediShield Life provides. The proportion of sufferers in subsidised wards of Class B2 and C wards had elevated to 80 per cent in 2014, from 70 per cent in 2000.1
However in the event you choose extra privateness, selecting your physician and air-conditioned rooms, and might afford to pay increased premiums within the longer run, then you could want to buy an IP for this extra protection.
Do you’ve got additional questions on MediShield Life?
Pop all the way down to the MediShield Life Roadshow on Sunday, 27 November 2016, 11am – 6pm, at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage, beside Jubilee Sq. (720 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6) to seek out out extra on MediShield Life and IPs.
1 ‘Extra sufferers selecting C-class wards for subsidies’, The Straits Instances, 18 Jul, 2015
