Worried about medical bills?

Medical bills can stack up quickly, especially during a surgery. It can be difficult to inquire into medical costs until you are discharged. Even if you had managed to get an estimate beforehand, sometimes the final cost can surprise you. If you are planning for a major procedure, it is a good idea to be sure of what you will need to be able to cover it.

Mount Elizabeth Hospitals has comprehensive information online on how much each procedure will cost and what portion of that bill can be paid off with an Integrated Shield Plan and Medisave – Singapore’s national insurance cover for all citizens or permanent residents – or with private insurance.

Mount Elizabeth Hospital also has a “Price Assurance Programme”, which gives you a maximum price cap on your bill for stipulated medical services. Check if your doctor is listed under this program, and if your procedure falls within the Programme’s scope.

If you are Singaporean, government policy in the form of “Medishield Life” run by the Central Provident Fund Board (CPF) gives you some automatic coverage in a Class C or B2 ward in public hospitals. This coverage can be increased in the form of private insurance with an Integrated Shield Plan (IP). IPs will expand your cover to Class A/B1 wards in both public hospitals and private hospitals. A “Private Hospitals as Charged” plan may mean that your hospital bill at Mount Elizabeth may be fully covered.

For example, an angioplasty with two stents can cost you zero at Mount Elizabeth Hospitals if you have an IP and are paying an additional monthly cash component called the “rider”, which entitles you to better insurance coverage. If you have an IP without a rider, the bill is estimated at USD$2,900 while the estimated bill cost is USD$25,000. A knee cartilage repair will also cost zero if you have an IP with a rider, but without a rider you will pay about USD$650 out of a total cost of USD$16,000.

Other common procedures that may cost nothing out of pocket if you have an IP with a rider include cataract surgery (one eye), endoscopic sinus surgery, kidney stone removal with shock wave, tonsils removal, slipped disc removal, fibroid removal (keyhole surgery) and total knee replacement. A comprehensive breakdown of costs is available online on the Mount Elizabeth hospital website. (https://www.mountelizabeth.com.sg/cost-financing/bills-insurance#collapseThree)

If you’re a medical tourist with private insurance, it is advisable to have your procedures done at a major medical hub such as Mount Elizabeth Hospitals as the hospital is widely recognised by insurance providers. Mount Elizabeth Hospitals is widely recognised by most international health insurance; most patients would have their financial advisors raise a request to pre-approve their Letter of Guarantees for the estimated hospital bill size. The hospital is happy to assist in your hospital bill claim arrangement, just ask them on their website.

Material provided by Mount Elizabeth Hospitals. Mount Elizabeth is a leading Singapore-based medical hub that attracts patients from all around the Asia-Pacific region. Both facilities in Orchard and Novena received the Joint Commission International accreditation of quality care.

Mount Elizabeth Hospital Orchard
3 Mount Elizabeth
Singapore 228510
Tel: (+65) 6250 0000

Mount Elizabeth Hospital Novena
38 Irrawaddy Road
Singapore 329563
Tel: (+65) 6898 6898
mountelizabeth.com.sg