Medishield Comparison. Find out which is the cheapest

[BBCWatcher]

For non-emergency situations, the wait time at public hospitals can be daunting.

Is that really true for private (unsubsidized) patients? A PLUS still covers unsubsidized patients. There was a recent parliamentary question about oncology waiting times that bears on this question. And also this parliamentary question.

 

[259850]

Is that really true for private (unsubsidized) patients? A PLUS still covers unsubsidized patients. There was a recent parliamentary question about oncology waiting times that bears on this question. And also this parliamentary question.

In public hospitals, you can see a specialist fairly quickly if you’re a private patient. But getting appointments with specific specialists, especially senior consultants, can take time. Some don’t have any appointment slots on the online booking system. You’d need to call the main booking line and wait for a call back. Many doctors have a full rostrum of repeat patients etc.

My family and I use both private and public doctors and hospitals for our needs. For something complex that needs innovative surgery or treatment, public hospitals, especially NUH, are preferred. But for routine matters, the private option may be more efficient.

Right now I can afford P Plus ISP so will maintain it as the proration factor for opting to go to a private hospital is too onerous. I may drop the rider if the premiums keep going up (I suspect they will). It would be better if the A Plus plan reimburses Private hospitals the rate that public hospitals charge for the same treatment instead of some arbitrary number like 35%.

 

[BBCWatcher]

Right now I can afford P Plus ISP so will maintain it as the proration factor for opting to go to a private hospital is too onerous. I may drop the rider if the premiums keep going up (I suspect they will).

That's the part I don't understand. The rider defends you financially because it caps co-insurance and adds substantial cancer drug-related coverage. That seems like the far bigger win.

If you fear appointment delays but want to reduce premiums, P Prime (with its P Prime rider) is now available. It's designed to cover a large portion of the private medical system — with 604 specialists in Great Eastern's P Prime panel listed at this instant (at or affiliated with the P Prime hospitals: Raffles Hospital, Mount Alvernia Hospital, Farrer Park Hospital, and Thomson Medical Centre).

 

[OCamal]

It would be better if the A Plus plan reimburses Private hospitals the rate that public hospitals charge for the same treatment instead of some arbitrary number like 35%.

The P Plus is somewhat like 100% pro-ration factor for non-panel providers, the P Prime is roughly 60% pro-ration factor for non-panel providers, and the A Plus is 35% pro-ration factor for non-panel providers. Looking at the numbers only, it is unlikely GE will adjust A Plus's pro-ration factor upward to avoid its A Plus plan from competing with its P Prime plan.

 

[blurpandasg2014]

GE is super messy. Keep changing plans and price and making life a wreck

 

[blurpandasg2014]

Lai liao. Is having a rider worth it with it covering the 10% Co insurance

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/changes-integrated-shield-plan-riders-faq-5490106

 

[OCamal]

Lai liao. Is having a rider worth it with it covering the 10% Co insurance

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/changes-integrated-shield-plan-riders-faq-5490106

I guess a cap on the co-insurance might still have its value when the medical bills in a year add up large?

If I recollect correctly, there are some existing riders which are closer to the new MOH requirement, whereby the deductibles are not covered. For example, the Singlife Shield health-plus Private Lite. If I compare it with Singlife's more advanced rider Private Prime, the premium saving could be more than 30%, especially at older age.

 

[zuppeur]

Hi can anyone advice on the best value integrated plan for both class A and class B1 with rider?

 

[reddevil0728]

Hi can anyone advice on the best value integrated plan for both class A and class B1 with rider?

are you currently on 1?

 

[zuppeur]

are you currently on 1?

Is for my niece. She intends to take up Plan B but is also open to considering PRUShield Plan A with rider, as the premium for her age remains affordable.

 

[BBCWatcher]

Hi can anyone advice on the best value integrated plan for both class A and class B1 with rider?

I like to look at the pre-/post-hospitalization coverage windows and cancer drug coverage as a “first cut.” For public hospital A ward plans all the carriers except Income and AIA cover 180 days pre-/365 days post-hospitalization, so I’ll toss those two overboard. HSBC Life and Raffles cap community hospital stays at 45 days — rarely a constraint but I’ll toss them for that reason.

That leaves Prudential, Great Eastern, and Singlife. Prudential doesn’t offer any “as charged” public hospital B1 ward plan, so if the intention is to “downgrade“ then it’s not a good choice. But there’s a lot to like about their public hospital A ward plan including their high 65% private hospital proration factor (for now anyway) and ability to use that coverage for planned overseas care, for example at Regency Specialist Hospital in Johor Bahru (with a referral from HMI in Singapore). If you’re nervous about public hospital queuing delays, those provisions may provide some help. Cancer coverage is good with their rider, and they don’t have a monthly cap for non-CDL drugs. They offer the highest annual limit in practice (up to $2 million per year if there are 2 or more separate incidents).

Singlife has an interesting annual co-insurance cap even if you don’t buy their rider, and that’s appealing. I’m not fond of their monthly cap on non-CDL cancer drugs even with the rider. (It’s pretty common for a course of chemotherapy to stretch over a couple or few months — and with an expensive drug. Monthly caps are more limiting than annual ones.) They still have a 12 month waiting period for undiagnosed/undetected congenital abnormalities, unfortunately.

And I like Great Eastern too. They’ve got the highest non-CDL cancer drug coverage among these three carriers (with their rider), and that’s appealing. Their B1 “downgrade” plan is good for Singaporean citizens (not SPRs) assuming they get their referrals to maintain subsidized status.

My current personal opinions, subject to change. Do you own due diligence.

 

[OCamal]

I like to look at the pre-/post-hospitalization coverage windows and cancer drug coverage as a “first cut.” For public hospital A ward plans all the carriers except Income and AIA cover 180 days pre-/365 days post-hospitalization, so I’ll toss those two overboard.

Recently AIA improved its AIA HealthShield Gold Max Plan B (covering up to public hospital A wards) pre/post-hospitalization coverage period to 12 months (pre) and 12 months (post) if the patient receives treatment in public hospitals. I think that's comparable to other companies' plans, assuming the patient does not go to private hospitals.

Reference: https://www.aia.com.sg/content/dam/...a-health-shield-gold-max-english-brochure.pdf (page 11).

 

[BBCWatcher]

Recently AIA improved its AIA HealthShield Gold Max Plan B (covering up to public hospital A wards) pre/post-hospitalization coverage period to 12 months (pre) and 12 months (post) if the patient receives treatment in public hospitals. I think that's comparable to other companies' plans, assuming the patient does not go to private hospitals.

Good catch! That's actually a best-in-class feature now. (Isn't competition great when it occurs?) Everyone else's pre-hospitalization coverage window (for their public hospital A ward plans) is 180 days or less at last check. Maybe some of them will change, too.

The post-hospitalization coverage window is the more important of the two. I'd much rather have (for example) a 6 month pre-/18 month post-hospitalization coverage window than a 12/12 window. But 12/12 is better than 6/12.

Note that AIA demotes you to a 100 day/100 day window if you "downgrade" to their public hospital B1 ward plan.

 

[matrix05]

For B1 (public) lovers: Based on current comparisons, the best options for "as charged" B1 ward plans include:
Great Eastern (GREAT SupremeHealth B Plus): This is frequently cited as a top choice for B1 coverage, offering "as charged" benefits with a high annual claim limit.
Singlife Shield (Plan 3): Offers "as charged" coverage specifically for 4-bed standard wards (B1) in public hospitals.
AIA (HealthShield Gold Max B Lite): Provides "as charged" coverage for B1 wards.
Income (IncomeShield Plan B): Provides "as charged" coverage for B1 wards.
Raffles Shield (Plan B): Provides "as charged" coverage for B1 wards.
Key Considerations
Prudential's Offering: Prudential's PRUShield B is a B1 plan, but it is not typically "as charged" in the same comprehensive way as competitors, often having specific limits on daily ward charges.

 

[blurpandasg2014]

Sharing the revised premium table for GE P Optimum rider