Compare the Best Expat Health Insurance Plans in Singapore (2022)

Why get Expat Health Insurance?

Despite Singapore’s high standard of healthcare, the cost remains very high. Thus, the recommendation is to cover yourself so that if the worst cases scenario emerges, you won’t be haemorrhaging money on extensive medical procedures, tests and hospital bills. Of course, this depends entirely on your circumstances – if your organisation already provides you with enough health insurance coverage, or your home country has policies that cover international claims, getting additional health insurance in Singapore may not be necessary. However, scenarios may arise where you feel you need additional coverage from private insurers, for example:

• If your organisation’s health insurance coverage is insufficient, or if they do not provide insurance at all.
• If your home country insurance is insufficient.
• If are a dependent in Singapore (where your spouse is the one working and not you).

Health Insurance for Expats in Singapore

A major thing to bear in mind is that Singaporean healthcare is generally expensive for expats as they do not qualify for the same level of public healthcare subsidies that are provided to locals or PRs. So, with this in mind, what kind of health insurance do expats qualify for?

It depends on your work status:

The main thing you want to look for is Private Health Insurance. Private insurers can provide health insurance plans for expats who want to take out a new policy, or to supplement their existing coverage.

Best Expat Health Insurance in Singapore (2022)

Local vs International Private Health Insurance

There are 2 main types of Private Health Insurance available to expats: Local Health Insurance and International Health Insurance. So what is the difference?

Average cost of Health Insurance for Foreigners

Costs are dependent on age, thus there is a range. Non-smoking 45-year-old individuals on a Singaporean Integrated Shield Plan may expect to pay around $132, whereas the average cost for 75-year-olds can range between $69 to $1,063 (this is before any MediSave contributions and are also not inclusive of MediShield Life premiums or Medisave contributions). Cost is also affected by any riders that have been purchased alongside the Health Insurance Plan.

Local vs International Health Insurance

Assessing whether a local or international health insurance policy is the best for you can be challenging as both have their advantages and disadvantages. A big factor is determining what lifestyle you are likely to follow, for example:

• If you intend to stay in Singapore for a long period of time with little-to no overseas travel, a local health insurance plan may be the best. Local health insurance also tends to be a bit cheaper than international health insurance.
• If you intend to stay in Singapore only a short while or are required to go overseas regularly for business trips, international health insurance may be the better fit.

What Local Health Insurance coverage should you look out for?