Singlife Data Shows Singaporeans Have a S$170,000 Critical Illness Recovery Gap

Singlife claims data shows recovery from critical illness can take an average of  
27 months, responds with enhanced caregiver support to help families

Leading homegrown financial services company Singlife has released new data showing that recovery may be one of the most overlooked aspects of critical illness preparedness. This can cost nearly S$170,000¹ per individual and is not covered by medical and hospitalisation insurance.

The findings are based on 20 years of claims data as well as surveys and were detailed in a report titled “Closing the Recovery Gap” – defined as the shortfall in support needed to recover well from a critical illness. It also shows that many Singaporeans underestimate the caregiving responsibilities and costs that emerge after hospitalisation and medical treatment ends.

These findings are significant as Singapore enters a super-aged chapter in 2026. As advances in screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation allow more people to live longer after a critical illness diagnosis, recovery is emerging as an increasingly important phase of the health journey.

While much attention is given to survival rates and treatment outcomes, recovery-related needs often remain less visible despite their impact on individuals, families and long-term wellbeing. Recovery represents a crucial opportunity to prevent decline, delay dependency and preserve quality of life and healthspan, and to reduce the need for long-term care. 

The report highlights three key findings:

1. Critical illness costs extend well beyond hospital treatment bills

While hospitalisation plans such as MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plans help cover much of treatment costs, many expenses associated with critical illness emerge after discharge and can persist long after the acute phase of care. 

Singlife estimates that recovery costs approximately S$170,000 over an average 27-month recovery journey, with expenses including rehabilitation, medication, supplementary therapies, transport, caregiving support and other daily expenses. Of this, approximately S$36,000 comprises out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred despite hospitalisation coverage, while treatment and recovery costs average S$4,900 per month.² While the Life Insurance Association, Singapore uses a five-year recovery benchmark for critical illness financial planning, Singlife’s data indicates that the most intensive and costly phase of recovery is often concentrated within the first 2.5 years.

2. Family caregiving is more common and demanding than many expect

The data highlights that critical illness rarely affects only the patient. More than two in three survivors surveyed relied on a caregiver during recovery. It also highlights a significant gap between expectations and reality when it comes to caregiving. While only one in five individuals surveyed preferred full-time care from a family member, in reality, two in five reported that family members were providing full-time care. 

The findings further suggest that family caregiving plays a far larger role than many people anticipate, with three in five reportedly drawing on their own savings to support treatment and recovery-related expenses. 

3. Recovery remains an overlooked aspect of critical illness protection planning

While many Singaporeans focus on hospital bills and income replacement, the report finds that recovery-related needs are often underplanned despite their significant financial and practical impact. 

The report builds on findings from Singlife’s Long-Term Care White Paper (2025), which found that critical illness conditions account for more than half of Singlife’s long-term care claims. The findings suggest that recovery is not only about healing after illness, but also about preserving independence, delaying dependency and supporting longer-term wellbeing. 

Helen Shen, Group Head of Products, Singlife, said: “Our findings on the critical illness recovery gap build on the conversation started with our 2025 Long-Term Care White Paper, which highlighted the financial and caregiving pressures associated with disability. As Singapore navigates a super-aged reality, they underscore the need to prepare not only for treatment, but also for the realities of recovery, ageing and retirement. Through the first Singlife Symposium – A Better Way to Protect, we hope to help Singaporeans better prepare for these evolving needs.”

The Singlife Symposium brought together healthcare experts, customers and financial professionals to discuss critical illness, long-term care and retirement preparedness in a super-aged Singapore. Cancer survivor Jason Shua together with stroke survivor Ian Tang and his caregiver wife Karen Tang shared their personal experiences on the multi-faceted challenges that can arise with a critical illness. The event also featured Reginald Koh, founder of financial literacy platform The Financial Coconut, and Loo Cheng Chuan, founder of the 1 Million by 65 movement, who shared perspectives on retirement adequacy, longevity and financial resilience as Singapore continues to age.

Beyond expert discussions and lived experiences, attendees were also able to access practical resources across preventive health, recovery and caregiving support services through the Singlife Care Collab ecosystem. The Symposium builds on Singlife’s ongoing work to understand how Singaporeans’ protection needs are evolving as they live longer and navigate increasingly complex health journeys. 

Singlife also announced that it is enhancing the caregiver benefit under its Singlife CareShield plan. From Q1 2027, eligible customers who hold both a Singlife critical illness plan and a Singlife CareShield plan will receive up to three times more caregiver support, to better help families navigate recovery and long-term care needs. 

Read the Singlife Critical Illness: Closing the Recovery Gap report here.

Read the From Awareness to Action: Securing Long-Term Care for a Super-Aged Society white paper here.

_{[1] Rounded up from approximately S$169,000.}

_{[2] Source: Singlife Critical Illness: Closing the Recovery Gap report, published on 22 August 2026.}