The short answer is: Yes. In fact, doing so is one of the smartest ways to navigate hospital bills in Singapore. Here is a straightforward breakdown of how you can combine your employer’s Group Hospital and Surgical (GHS) insurance with your personal Integrated Shield Plan (IP) to bring your out-of-pocket medical costs down to near zero.
1. What Do Deductible And Co-Insurance Mean?
- Deductible: This is the fixed chunk of money you have to pay first before your personal IP starts paying anything. In Singapore, this is typically up to $3,500 per policy year depending on your ward class.
- Co-insurance: Once the deductible is paid, you still have to split the remaining bill with your insurer. Usually, you pay 10%, and your insurer covers the other 90%.
If you don’t have an expensive “rider” attached to your personal IP, these two elements can result in thousands of dollars in cash or MediSave outlays.
Read our article on deductibles and co-insurance to learn more.
(Source: NTUC Income)
2. Enter The Claims Hierarchy
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has a specific claims protocol to prevent duplicate payouts while ensuring patients get maximum coverage. The sequence looks like this:
- Corporate/Employer Insurance pays first.
- MediShield Life / Personal Integrated Shield Plan (IP) pays second.
- Your MediSave pays third.
- You pay last using Cash
Because your company insurance sits at the very top of the hierarchy, it acts as your primary shield.
3. So How Does It Work in Real Life
Imagine you are admitted to a private hospital, and your total bill comes up to $20,000. Your personal IP has a $3,500 deductible and a 10% co-insurance.
Scenario A: Claiming ONLY on Personal IP
- You pay the $3,500 deductible
- You pay 10% of the remaining $16,500 (which is $1,650)
- Total out-of-pocket for you: $5,150
Scenario B: Claiming Both Corporate + Personal Insurance
- Step 1: You present your corporate insurance to the hospital. The corporate plan absorbs the first $15,000 of the bill.
- Step 2: The remaining $5,000 falls to your personal IP
- Step 3: Wait, what about your $3,500 personal deductible and 10% co-insurance?
Because your corporate plan already paid $15,000 toward the total bill, the insurers coordinate their benefits. The $15,000 paid by your company effectively extinguishes and fulfills your personal IP’s deductible and co-insurance requirements. - Total out-of-pocket for you: $0!
Three Pro-Tips for a Smooth Claim Experience
If you are planning an elective surgery or staring down a hospital admission, here is how to execute this flawlessly:
- Ask your company for a Letter of Guarantee (LOG): Before you get admitted, check if your company insurer can issue an LOG. Handing this to the hospital waives or heavily reduces the upfront deposit you need to pay upon admission.
- Communicate with the Hospital Billing Department: Always let the hospital admissions staff know that you want to claim under your Employer Insurance Plan first, followed by your Personal Insurance. Hospitals in Singapore are used to this and can usually e-file everything for you to coordinate the benefits seamlessly.
- Remember the Indemnity Principle: You cannot make a profit from getting sick. You can use both plans to cover 100% of your bill, but you cannot claim the same dollar amount from both insurers to pocket the extra cash.
Medical emergencies are stressful enough without having to worry about draining your savings. By leveraging your corporate benefits as the “first line of defense,” you can successfully wipe out the deductible and co-insurance of your personal health plan.
