What To Look Out For When Purchasing Medical Insurance For Foreign Workers In Singapore

Foreign Workers Medical Insurance As an employer who employs foreign workers on Work Permit or S Pass, it is compulsory to purchase and maintain medical insurance coverage of at least $15,000 a year for every Work Permit or S Pass holder.

It should cover inpatient care and day surgery, including hospital bills for conditions that may not be related to work. You will need to submit the insurance details to MOM online before the permit or pass can be issued.

Many insurers offer Foreign Worker Medical Insurance in Singapore, with a variety of package plans starting from as low as $58.85. While the basic packages will fulfil the minimum MOM requirements, some insurers also offer superior plans for employers who are looking for more comprehensive coverage for their foreign workers.

What features should you look out for? 1. Pre-Existing conditions Most plans cover pre-existing conditions upon initiation. For their basic plans, some insurers do require a 12 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions. 2. Overseas Hospitalisation Benefit For work-related medical treatments – Foreign Worker Medical Insurance policies usually cover most work-related medical treatments both in Singapore and overseas, when employees travel for work assignments. For non-work-related medical treatments – Most insurers cover non-work-related medical treatments only if they are performed within Singapore. However, it is good to note that NTUC income also provides overseas coverage for non-work-related medical treatments for emergency cases.

3. Emergency Outpatient treatment for Cancer & Kidney Dialysis While the coverage of Foreign Worker Medical Insurance plans usually exclude outpatient treatments, AXA and QBE’s premiere plans do cover outpatient Cancer & Kidney treatment.

4. Outpatient Treatment Most Foreign Worker Medical Insurance policies cover only inpatient treatments. If you are looking for outpatient coverage, QBE does offer plans that cover both inpatient and outpatient treatments. They start from a higher cost of $400, and require a Co-Payment of $5 for every outpatient visit.

5. Claimable Limit MOM has set a requirement for the claimable limit to be at least $15,000 per policy year. However, most insurers offer a superior limit of up to $15,000 per disability1, while some also provide options for claimable limits up to $30,000, at a premium.

6. Repatriation of Mortal Remains When an unexpected loss of life happens for your foreign worker, due to an accident or illness, it also becomes necessary to repatriate their remains back to their home country. NTUC and AXA’s plans provide coverage for this.

Which plan should you go for?

For those who are cost conscious, a good option is Tokio Marine’s package. It even includes $10,000 for Personal Accident coverage! For those whose Foreign workers have to travel overseas for work, you may benefit from NTUC’s plan as it also covers Overseas Hospitalisation for non-work-related treatment. Looking for higher annual coverages up to $30,000? AXA and QBE would be better choices as their superior plans offer much more comprehensive coverage.