Medishield Comparison. Find out which is the cheapest

BBCWatcher

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Basically, I'm an nsf now.
Gonna ord & start uni next year.
Ideally, im looking at private hospitals with riders covered.
Or will B1 with riders suffice?
1. Before your full-time National Service ends, you’re rather well covered. For hospitalization insurance you might consider an upgrade from public hospital C ward (your current situation) to Integrated Shield public hospital A ward coverage if you want a nicer room. I currently like Prudential’s Prushield Plus in that category, and it’s S$71 (minus a 10% first year discount since you’re in NS) per year at your age. I kind of like Great Eastern in this segment too. Great Eastern has a higher annual limit but less generous pre-/post-hospitalization coverage, so I think I prefer Prudential at the moment in that segment. And you could add the PRUextra Plus Lite rider for S$150, which eliminates the co-payment and knocks your deductible down to $1,750. The $71 ($64 first year) is Medisave payable, and the $150 isn’t.

I wouldn’t go higher than that, at least not yet. You mentioned you’re considering B1 versus private. I’d instead go right in between, with the public hospital A ward coverage. At your age the upgrade from B1 to A in public hospitals is very few dollars. Those very few dollars also give you a higher annual limit and better pre-/post-hospitalization coverage (the latter mostly of interest after your National Service), so you can always check into B1 ward and have that much more room to your annual limit, if you wish. However, please note that Prudential doesn’t have a B1 plan. If you think you might downgrade then another carrier might be better.

2. The SAF/MinDEF group’s disability income insurance rider from Aviva is quite interesting to me. I would definitely look into that.

3. I am implicitly assuming you have no dependents, but if that assumption is incorrect please advise.
 

BBCWatcher

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Just to give you an idea what the difference in premiums is at your age between B1 and A ward public hospital coverage, let's take a look at what Great Eastern charges for their Supreme Health B Plus Integrated Shield plan. The annual premium at your age is $67, so that really doesn't help. (Prudential is currently at $64 with the NS first year discount then $71 thereafter.) Great Eastern's own A Plus Integrated Shield plan has a premium of $70/year, only $3/year more. So on the base plan, at your age, A ward public hospital coverage is no problem.

The problem is really on the rider side, if you want to reduce the co-pay and/or deductible. Great Eastern's Total Health Silver rider is $171, and that's a zero deductible/zero co-pay rider for their B Plus plan. The approximately comparable rider over at Prudential (for their A ward plan) would be PRUextra Plus, $250/year at your age. So that's where you save some premium dollars if you downgrade to B1 coverage but want "first dollar" coverage.

Again, personally I prefer to keep insurance as actual insurance, i.e. to provide coverage only for events that would be at least uncomfortable to handle using my own resources. Is a $1,750 medical bill (the deductible, if you were to be hospitalized, assuming Prushield Plus with PRUextra Plus Lite) going to be too painful? For me it'd be fine, but it depends.

Anyway, that gives you some idea of the trade-offs. The base plan cost doesn't really matter much by itself (although there's a big jump up to the private coverage Integrated Shield base plans). But the base plan determines what the deductible/co-pay reduction riders cost.

As an aside, if you are a Singapore Permanent Resident then B1 ward Integrated Shield plans don't work too well due to pro-ration factors, to account for the lower subsidies that PRs receive. I'd stick with A ward coverage if you're a PR.
 
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dendii

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Agree with this. That's why I choose aviva option A. I believe the deductible can pay using medisave as well right? So essentially still 0 cash

People tend to overlook the co-insurance part. Co-insurance, depending on bill size, can amount to quite a significant sum as well.
 

deadlockb

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Hi , Im currently covered under AIA HealthShield Gold Max B without rider since age 32 ( earlier under AIA with different policy name).Now im in early 40's.
I realised that my Policy is only covers Public Hospital,so planning to upgrade to AIA Gold MAX A with a Rider to Cover Co-insurance & Deductable . But AIA essential rider is so expense that $894 ( Just the AIA Essential MAX A ) rider.When i compared with Aviva , AVIVA health Plus rider is $300 cheaper than AIA Rider while other price for Private insurance is almost same.

1. Is it Advisable to switch to Aviva to save $300 ? or stick to AIA?
2.I also found another Rider "AIA Essential Max A saver", is it worth taking this rider or Max essential ? What are pros and cons ?

Thanks
 

BBCWatcher

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I realised that my Policy is only covers Public Hospital,so planning to upgrade to AIA Gold MAX A with a Rider to Cover Co-insurance & Deductable .
Well, that's a major decision. The insurers are losing money on the private hospital Integrated Shield plans (and riders). You should expect a higher rate of premium increases if you jump up to private hospital coverage. Also, that cost escalation problem is compounded if you add a rider. And as you age there's age rating, so the premiums will increase for that reason too.

I have absolutely no objection to spending money on "nice to haves" if you can afford it. But if you're concerned about the premium cost, the choice of private versus public hospital coverage is the most consequential decision you can make. I'm quite happy with public hospital coverage, but people vary in their indulgences, and that's fine.

Note that the higher your premium, the more after-tax dollars you have to use to pay for it. Pre-tax (Medisave) dollars cost less than after-tax (cash) dollars.

1. Is it Advisable to switch to Aviva to save $300 ? or stick to AIA?
If you have a pre-existing condition, no. In fact, if you have a pre-existing condition, you probably shouldn't move to Gold Max A either. If AIA agrees to upgrade you to Max A, it'll be with exclusions for those pre-existing conditions.

In my view, AIA currently has the #1 best Integrated Shield base plan for private hospital coverage in Singapore, assuming you are willing to remain within their "AQHP" network of providers, which includes some private and all public hospitals. In that case, the pre- and post-hospitalization coverage is the best available (13 months on both sides), and the annual limit is the highest available ($2 million).

2.I also found another Rider "AIA Essential Max A saver", is it worth taking this rider or Max essential ? What are pros and cons ?
If you're going to add a rider to AIA's Gold Max A, the A Saver rider is the one to add. You get the best value from your Gold Max A plan if you stay "in network," meaning you use only AIA's "AQHP" medical providers and/or public hospitals. If you stray outside that medical provider network, you get much less pre-/post-hospitalization coverage and a much lower annual limit. And the A Saver rider is geared to that same "in network" approach -- you get "first dollar, every dollar" coverage when you stay within that AQHP network.

This "in network" approach is becoming increasingly popular among the Integrated Shield plans that include private hospital coverage. The insurers are trying to control costs, and that's one way to do it, to offer different coverage terms when you use medical providers that have pre-negotiated, more reasonable rates. AIA is probably the farthest along in segmenting its coverage this way, but the other carriers are likely to do much the same thing soon enough. So if you're OK with that medical provider segmentation, you can get higher coverage limits and avoid some premium cost.

When comparing premiums, don't forget that you can qualify for up to a 15% premium reduction on the rider if you join and participate in AIA's Vitality program. There's a small membership fee to join (maybe after the first year -- can't exactly remember), but it's worth doing if you actually participate. It's a wellness program to encourage policyholders to stay healthy.
 

deadlockb

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Well, that's a major decision. The insurers are losing money on the private hospital Integrated Shield plans (and riders). You should expect a higher rate of premium increases if you jump up to private hospital coverage. Also, that cost escalation problem is compounded if you add a rider. And as you age there's age rating, so the premiums will increase for that reason too.

I have absolutely no objection to spending money on "nice to haves" if you can afford it. But if you're concerned about the premium cost, the choice of private versus public hospital coverage is the most consequential decision you can make. I'm quite happy with public hospital coverage, but people vary in their indulgences, and that's fine.

Note that the higher your premium, the more after-tax dollars you have to use to pay for it. Pre-tax (Medisave) dollars cost less than after-tax (cash) dollars.


If you have a pre-existing condition, no. In fact, if you have a pre-existing condition, you probably shouldn't move to Gold Max A either. If AIA agrees to upgrade you to Max A, it'll be with exclusions for those pre-existing conditions.

In my view, AIA currently has the #1 best Integrated Shield base plan for private hospital coverage in Singapore, assuming you are willing to remain within their "AQHP" network of providers, which includes some private and all public hospitals. In that case, the pre- and post-hospitalization coverage is the best available (13 months on both sides), and the annual limit is the highest available ($2 million).


If you're going to add a rider to AIA's Gold Max A, the A Saver rider is the one to add. You get the best value from your Gold Max A plan if you stay "in network," meaning you use only AIA's "AQHP" medical providers and/or public hospitals. If you stray outside that medical provider network, you get much less pre-/post-hospitalization coverage and a much lower annual limit. And the A Saver rider is geared to that same "in network" approach -- you get "first dollar, every dollar" coverage when you stay within that AQHP network.

This "in network" approach is becoming increasingly popular among the Integrated Shield plans that include private hospital coverage. The insurers are trying to control costs, and that's one way to do it, to offer different coverage terms when you use medical providers that have pre-negotiated, more reasonable rates. AIA is probably the farthest along in segmenting its coverage this way, but the other carriers are likely to do much the same thing soon enough. So if you're OK with that medical provider segmentation, you can get higher coverage limits and avoid some premium cost.

When comparing premiums, don't forget that you can qualify for up to a 15% premium reduction on the rider if you join and participate in AIA's Vitality program. There's a small membership fee to join (maybe after the first year -- can't exactly remember), but it's worth doing if you actually participate. It's a wellness program to encourage policyholders to stay healthy.

Thank you so much for your informative reply.
 

Soul77

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People tend to overlook the co-insurance part. Co-insurance, depending on bill size, can amount to quite a significant sum as well.

Yes. Co-insurance can go up to 25.5K per year but deductible only 3.5K per year
 

windwaver

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Hi , Im currently covered under AIA HealthShield Gold Max B without rider since age 32 ( earlier under AIA with different policy name).Now im in early 40's.
I realised that my Policy is only covers Public Hospital,so planning to upgrade to AIA Gold MAX A with a Rider to Cover Co-insurance & Deductable . But AIA essential rider is so expense that $894 ( Just the AIA Essential MAX A ) rider.When i compared with Aviva , AVIVA health Plus rider is $300 cheaper than AIA Rider while other price for Private insurance is almost same.

1. Is it Advisable to switch to Aviva to save $300 ? or stick to AIA?
2.I also found another Rider "AIA Essential Max A saver", is it worth taking this rider or Max essential ? What are pros and cons ?

Thanks

A with A-Saver is the best combo. The panel usually charges reasonably compared to pure private doctors that fall outside of the panel.
 

Bigoya

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Is it ok to Upgrade from MAX B to Max A , if i have small medical problem like Renal stones ?Will they exclude my conditions?
or what is best rider for MAX B( if cannot Upgrade).

I guess ur renal stone is discovered pretty recently?
 

BBCWatcher

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Is it ok to Upgrade from MAX B to Max A , if i have small medical problem like Renal stones ?Will they exclude my conditions?
You have to ask and get that clarified, but the answer will probably be either:

(a) Your request to upgrade is denied, or
(b) Your request to upgrade is approved, but any future medical treatment related to renal stones will be covered only to your previous insurance level (B level).

In the case of (b), you don’t get any premium discount for the exclusion.

or what is best rider for MAX B( if cannot Upgrade).
There’s an optional B rider aligned with that B base plan, but adding a rider is also an upgrade, with the same pre-existing condition issue. Either they won’t let you add the rider, or they’ll let you add it but the rider won’t cover anything related to your renal stones.

The only changes that don’t come with pre-existing condition exclusions are downgrades, in your case going from B (no riders) to B Lite (no riders). You still have to declare pre-existing conditions if the insurance company asks, and clarify that they are not excluded, but the insurance company is very happy to downgrade you if you wish since it helps reduce their expenses for a “high risk” policyholder.

You might still upgrade if allowed, even with the exclusion. Then, if you have anything related to renal stones in the future, go to a public hospital and check into either A ward (if you don’t mind the deductible and co-pays) or B1 ward (if you want to reduce out-of-pocket costs). For other medical conditions you can go to the “in network” providers. This is tricky, though, because you have to guess what the insurance company will do in terms of how they handle the exclusion. If you’re going to the hospital to get treatment for a brain tumor, then it’s hard to imagine how that would be related to renal stones. But if there’s some reasonable medical argument that past renal stones contributed to a future medical condition, then the exclusion can kick in.

Personally I wouldn’t want that complexity, so the maximum I’d consider is adding the B rider to your current plan. Then you’d have an exclusion on the rider, but you don’t have to worry about which medical provider to visit. If the exclusion kicks in, OK, you’ve got a deductible and co-pay — not the end of the world. But the insurance company can’t deny the whole claim because you saw the wrong medical provider for that diagnosis. You stick with public hospitals, and you’re covered. Either from first dollar (rider applicable) or not (rider excluded), but you’re covered. Then you just decide whether the rider is worth the cash premium you’d have to pay.

There’s another possibility, which is that the insurance company will let you upgrade but will consider renal stones to be an exclusion that lasts for some period of time — say, 24 months. That is, if there’s anything medically related to renal stones that happens in the future, within 24 months of the upgrade, they won’t cover it (at the higher insurance level). Past 24 months, they’ll forget about the renal stones and remove the exclusion. It doesn’t hurt to ask them if they’ll do that. If the insurance company likes the extra premium dollars, they might accept that deal.
 
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xtwis7

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I don’t think deductible is payable by Medisave.

Agree with this. That's why I choose aviva option A. I believe the deductible can pay using medisave as well right? So essentially still 0 cash
 

BBCWatcher

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I don’t think deductible is payable by Medisave.
An Integrated Shield plan rider cannot be paid with Medisave funds. Only the base Integrated Shield plan premium is Medisave payable. However, once you have a medical claim, yes, you can pay all Medisave qualified medical expenses, including the co-insurance amount (the deductible and co-pay) that your Integrated Shield plan doesn't cover.
 

highwind85

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Look of IP

Hi.

Will anyone able to better advice what isp should I go for?

I'm 33 in my next birthday.
I'm looking at A or B1 with riders covered.

Thanks in advance!
 

Bigoya

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Hi.

Will anyone able to better advice what isp should I go for?

I'm 33 in my next birthday.
I'm looking at A or B1 with riders covered.

Thanks in advance!

AXA Shield plan B and Basic Care rider for Restructured ward A and below.
 

qazamy

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For private plan, AIA A + A Saver is still the better option out there?
 

BBCWatcher

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I'm looking at A or B1 with riders covered.
My current favorite public hospital A ward plan is Prudential's. It seems to have the fewest "gotcha" coverage gaps. Their PRUextra Plus Lite is well designed, too. "Lite" still has an annual deductible, but it cuts the deductible in half and eliminates the co-pays. That's fine. In my view you shouldn't buy insurance to cover events that are not catastrophic, and a $1,750 annual deductible is not pleasant but is generally manageable. And you pay a lower premium for that rider, of course, so I think it's a good value.

Prudential doesn't offer a B1 ward plan, though, so that's a potential issue if you ever plan to downgrade (and have preexisting conditions at that point).
 

highwind85

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AXA Shield plan B and Basic Care rider for Restructured ward A and below.

My current favorite public hospital A ward plan is Prudential's. It seems to have the fewest "gotcha" coverage gaps. Their PRUextra Plus Lite is well designed, too. "Lite" still has an annual deductible, but it cuts the deductible in half and eliminates the co-pays. That's fine. In my view you shouldn't buy insurance to cover events that are not catastrophic, and a $1,750 annual deductible is not pleasant but is generally manageable. And you pay a lower premium for that rider, of course, so I think it's a good value.

Prudential doesn't offer a B1 ward plan, though, so that's a potential issue if you ever plan to downgrade (and have preexisting conditions at that point).

Thanks for all the feedback! I was looking at NTUC and AXA initially. Will look into Prudential now as well. What would be the "gotchas" that I need to look out for in general? Thank!
 

windwaver

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Prudential doesn't offer a B1 ward plan, though, so that's a potential issue if you ever plan to downgrade (and have preexisting conditions at that point).

Yup, that's a big problem but I figured they will come up with one when the need arises.
 
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