Anyone who’s financially savvy understands the importance of health insurance, considering how much medical expenses can set you back financially when you get hospitalised or undergo a major medical procedure. Integrated Shield Plans are one of the most common types of health coverage in Singapore as they help to offload a substantial amount of one's hospitalisation costs.
While most Integrated Shield Plans provide comprehensive health coverage for hospitalisation expenses and selected pre- and post-hospitalisation treatments, there are some misconceptions about the type of treatments and procedures that are covered. This article aims to clarify some of these common misconceptions so that you can make well-informed decisions about healthcare and be financially prepared.
- It covers all outpatient diagnostic scans and scopes.
Integrated Shield Plans are designed to cover large hospitalisation and surgical expenses. Therefore, many are unsure about claims regarding outpatient diagnostic procedures, i.e., CT scans, MRI scans, X-rays and annual health screenings. In general, Singlife's policy does not cover such outpatient diagnostic procedures unless it leads to an inpatient treatment or hospitalisation or are part of pre- and post-hospitalisation treatment.
The good news is that diagnostic endoscopies which are medically necessary are covered even if they don’t lead to inpatient treatment or hospitalisation, as they’re considered day surgeries. Other policy terms may apply to this coverage depending on your IP provider.
- You can claim for all pregnancy-related medical expenses.
You may wonder if pregnancy and delivery-related medical expenses are covered your Singlife Integrated Shield Plan. The answer is yes if any serious complications arise during pregnancy and delivery. For instance, Singlife Shield covers inpatient treatments for congenital anomalies and certain serious complications such as ectopic pregnancy or involuntary miscarriage after 13 weeks of pregnancy.
Regular delivery, i.e., procedures without complications as well as pre- and post-natal care are not covered under your Shield plan. You may use your MediSave account to pay for pregnancy-related expenses such as consultations, ultrasounds and delivery under MediSave Maternity Package. Visit the CPF website for more details.
- It’s for hospital bills and does not provide lump-sum payouts.
Many of us know that health insurance is only for hospitalisation bills. But did you know that the Singlife Health Plus rider offers a lump-sum payout of S$10,000 per lifetime upon diagnosis of selected critical illnesses? Additionally, there is a lump-sum payout of up to S$3,000 per lifetime for kidney dialysis if the policyholder visits one of Singlife’s panel private dialysis centres, a restructured hospital or a subsidised dialysis centre.
Note: For policyholders of Singlife Shield Plan 2, 3 and Standard Plan, please consider your plan coverage before consulting with the private specialists on our panel. Singlife Shield Plan 2, 3 and Standard Plan are not designed to cover medical expenses with private specialists, including those from our panel, hence your hospitalisation and surgical/treatment costs may not be claimable in full.
Having adequate health coverage is one of the most important steps to your financial wellbeing. If you have any questions on your Singlife Shield Plan, speak to your preferred financial adviser or call us at 6927 7788.
