Migrant workers and maids to get hiked mandatory medical insurance

Singapore – Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon has said that work permit and S pass holders in Singapore would now have a bolstered mandatory medical insurance. This step has been taken by the government to protect employers from large and unexpected medical bills. The new requirements would also be extended to include domestic helpers in the country.

The updated regulations will come into effect by end of this year and would be applicable on all new work permits as well as S Pass applications and renewals. The final details will soon be shared by Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

In Singapore, the employers are responsible for medical expenses of their migrant workers who are on a work permit and also who are S Pass holders. But unfortunately, medical bills of these migrant workers are not subsidized and not even covered under national medical insurance schemes such as MediShield Life and MediFund. In order to efficiently manage the medical bills of their workers, the employers are required to buy medical insurance for work permit and S Pass holders with at least coverage of S$15,000.

Koh Poh Koon said, “More than 1,000 employers a year on average face bills that are above S$15,000.”

For medical bills more than S$15,000, a new co payment element would be there for insurers and employers, reaching to an annual claim limit of at least S$60,000. For instance, for a medical bill that amounts to S$70,000 today, the insurer will cover the first S$15,000 and the employer will then bear the remaining of S$55,000. Now, with the bolstered medical insurance, the insurer will still cover the first S$15,000 completely. Coming down to the remaining S$55,000, the insurer will co-pay 75 per cent and the employer will pay the remaining bill. This means that the employer will have to pay S$13,750. “The increased annual claim limit will cover more than 99 per cent of migrant workers’ in-patient and day surgery bills,” said MOM.