Health & Protection in Singapore

Congratulations on landing a job in Singapore, now let’s take a moment to look into what type of cover you will need to maintain the same level of protection as you might have had back in your home country.

Singapore has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, but it comes at a price. Let us guide you in how you can secure yourself while starting a new life in Singapore.

Importance of Insurance

Haze is one of the health risks in Singapore which is common between the months of July and October. It can cause respiratory problems or allergies most especially to children. There are also cases of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever so make sure that you put insect repellent and keep your environment clean at all times. For Dengue, the government is monitoring the cases closely, and you can see for yourself if your neighbourhood is affected by using the Dengue Lah app.

"Healthcare in Singapore is expedient and unfailing. If you become and expat in Singapore, you will be offered by a company sponsored healthcare card and insurance that will make your health needs easier to tackle. You can just go to a hospital or clinic that is recommended by your health card, and have your needed checkup without paying for anything!" - Bowdy Ragas, Expat in Singapore

Most of the above-stated health risks are not considered deadly unless an individual failed to get immediate treatment. More than cure, prevention is your greatest weapon in defending your health while in Singapore or any place in the world. The beauty of having medical coverage and good doctors is that you can avail services such as vaccinations, routine check-ups, physical exams and laboratory tests that’ll help you maintain and monitor your health without spending a huge sum of money. Read more about dental care in the country.

Getting Private Insurance

Your sponsor or employer should provide your healthcare as part of your relocation package to Singapore. This type of benefit should be discussed to expats during the contract signing and would usually cover the dependents as well. The Human Resource office of your company is the best places to go to if you need any clarifications regarding the coverage of your policy. There are more and more expats arriving with simple cash allowances (also called Lump Sum Policies) or immediately on localisation. This will force you to explore what are the add-ons and international covers to suit your need in accessing healthcare, protection and hospitals.

"Both the public and private healthcare sector in Singapore is equally efficient. For those who prefer an expat healthcare with a holistic approach. They can try body with Soul in Rochester Park."- Honey, Expat in Singapore

The Monetary Authority of Singapore is a local government sector which is in charge of supervising the operation of all insurance providers in the country; so if you have any complaints against your company, you can contact the ministry here.

There are also several international and local insurance companies in Singapore where you can get various types of policies that cover non-life products. One of them is CIGNA Global, an international provider of healthcare for expats in Singapore. You can also consider a local broker such as NTUC Income, which provides a broad range of insurance that covers health, life, auto, home and finances. Keep in mind that the ‘searching’ part is the most crucial phase of your journey towards successfully securing yourself, so it is best that you take your time in learning about their different policies to find out which one can meet all your needs. 

Local Insurance 

Expats will be glad to know that they are about to move to Asia’s top ranking country when it comes to health care system. Both public and private sectors are manned with experts in the different fields of medicine and highly skilled staff that are equipped to provide emergency service 24/7. The Singapore’s Ministry of Health is the branch of the government which ensures that all locals and permanent residents have access to subsidised medical assistance from the state. All employees in the country are required to contribute to Medisave from their Central Provident Fund (CPF) which will cover their medical expenses as well as those of their dependents.

Even if Singapore can provide top-notch public and local health care, it comes at a price, and you might want to look at the private health insurance providers that are ready to offer access to their network. After talking to your HR and colleagues from your Singapore office to understand your needs, you can go direct to the insurers from the selected list of providers that ExpatFinder has put up for you.