Health in Singapore - Healthcare For Workers and Visitors

Healthcare For Workers and Visitors

Those working in Singapore who are not classed as Permanent Residents (which includes almost all foreign workers and a large propotion of expatriates) do not enjoy any subsidised or preferential access to healthcare in Singapore, desipite paying the same tax (usually more) than Singapore citizens. They can, and do, use the primary healthcare facilities such as general practitioners, polyclinics at cost, however their quality varies widely: it is normally recommended to ask locals to advise on which doctors to use. For inpatient services, the government restructured hospitals provide a reasonably good service, but it is costly and patients will normally be asked to provide a credit card and pay a very large deposit upon admittance. The cost of these services can easily exceed the cost of private healthcare, especially for maternity/childbirth.

Many white collar foreigners are provided with health insurance by their employers. If not, local organisations such as NTUC Income have a number of schemes, usually with co-payment terms, for health coverage (NTUC is the National Trades Union Congress, a non-profit making organisation). The main NTUC Income medical plans used by foreigners (called iMedicare) are configurable to allow patients to visit primary and secondary health providers, with just their passport and iMedicare card to enjoy immediate, cashless, treatment (or treatment for a very low flat rate, perhaps just $5).

In general, Singaporeans tend to subscribe to a number of insurance plans, which may include healthcare, total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance, dread disease insurance and life insurance. Foreign residents may with to enquire into similar schemes.

Short-term Foreign visitors to Singapore are generally advised to ensure that they have medical coverage as part of their travel insurance.