The first tier of protection is provided by heavy Government subsidies of up to 80% of the total bill in acute public hospital wards, which all Singaporeans can access.
The second tier of protection is provided by Medisave, a compulsory individual medical savings account scheme which allows practically all Singaporeans to pay for their share of medical treatment without financial difficulty. Working Singaporeans and their employers contribute a part of the monthly wages into the account to save up for their future medical needs and this is portable across jobs and after retirement.
The third level of protection is provided by MediShield Life which has replaced MediShield from 1 Nov 2015. MediShield Life is a basic health insurance plan which helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. It is basic because it is sized for subsidised treatment in public hospitals. MediShield Life will provide protection for all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, for life, including for any serious pre-existing conditions. Individual responsibility for one’s healthcare needs is promoted through the co-payment features of MediShield Life. The Government has also committed to keep MediShield Life premiums affordable with a range of Government subsidies.
Many Singaporeans also choose to supplement their MediShield Life coverage with Integrated Shield plans (IPs). IPs are made up of two components – MediShield Life and additional private insurance coverage providing additional benefits and coverage (e.g. to cover the costs of private hospitals or Class A/B1 wards in the public hospitals). As they provide additional benefits and coverage, premiums for such plans are also higher than MediShield Life.