The Singapore Forum

Just a wee reminder to all to ensure that you have health insurance or that your health insurance is up to date!

MrA had a wee heart scare and the one thing he wasnt insured for was his heart - due to good ol inconclusive NZ medical records - and while the trip to hospital (well done wonderful Changi Hospital) was very affordable, the resulting cardiologist and angiogram costs were not. Medisave came to the rescue but we still had to pay about $3k which did hurt. Luckly he didnt require any further treatment as the angiogram showed his heart as fine. Even one stent would have set us back a further $7k and two - three stents would have meant we were looking at about $20k.

So we were lucky. But a timely reminder on the health insurance front for us all.

He was quite shocked at the cost but I was determined the ensure that all was checked out. The loss of the first MrA was, of course, unfortunate. A second loss may have been construed by others as carelessness on my part.

glad you didn't lose him

And make sure you get rubber soles fitted on any shoes with leather soles.

My broken wrist cost us about $30k, not including rehab.

It's the only way I'd lose him, he is quite easy to spot . Fec, no way Kooky. OMG.

One benefit of this job thing is that I am insured again

so now you can get a hernia and take some time off work?

Yeah but my insurance wouldn't pay up for my hernia, so be careful!

The main problem with medial insurance is that it pays out for in-patient treatment only and not for out-patient treatment, as I found out to my considerable cost last year. I don't believe there are any policies that cover outpatient treatment and consultancy.

International plans, like BUPA and IHI do.

Expensive though.

How much is bupa then?

Spike wrote:The main problem with medial insurance is that it pays out for in-patient treatment only and not for out-patient treatment, as I found out to my considerable cost last year. I don't believe there are any policies that cover outpatient treatment and consultancy.

This now start depending on definition. My health cover (NTUC Income Incomeshield Enhanced Policy) clearly states "includes surgery or day surgery". So that in itself should cover most things. It also covers various radio-, immuno- and chemotherapies for cancer, dialysis and drugs for long term conditions such as organ transplant.

And, in pre- and post-hospitalisation treatment, it covers specialist out-patient medical services and consultations, exams and investigations (up to 90 days before/after hospitalisation).

What sort of things wouldn't get covered under this? A hernia? Needed day surgery in a hospital? Surely covered?

canuck wrote:How much is bupa then?

Depends on your cover.

well full, day surgery et al like

$1000/year? $5,000?

i was hoping for a ballpark figure from someone in the know

I can tell you how much I am paying for 2 adults and 2 kids. One adult with a surcharge to cover a pre-existing condition, the other adult with an exclusion.

Would that help you ?

A fuck of a lot.

maybe I have two kids? but yes that did help some, surcharges for pre-existing, interesting, thanks

not because I wonder about your pre-exisiting anything just food for thought

and hey I may get two kids *whistles* kidding

I tell ya that day surgery in Sing is expensive. The hosp costs for MrA's angiogram were about $3k and the cardiologists were $2.5. Not so bad you think. But that one extra thing like a stent would have doubled it. At this point given his heart has been given the all clear we are goign to pay a large premium for his insurance to get that covered.

I'd be going back and asking why day surgery isn't covered already. Well, that's if he had a insurance policy to begin with. If not, own fault!

Just shows you how much money you can save by dying.

Can singaporeans buy BUPA and IHI as mine doesn't cover outpatient or daysurgeries either. It doesnt cover preexistng conditoins too...even you wnat to pay a higher premimum for it to be covered.

He had insurance but it excluded his heart because he had a suspected heart attack in NZ. Now we know there is nothing wrong with it, we can go back to insurance company and say cover him but they will up the premium, we are fine with this.

Oh you do surprise me, JW. 2 totally off the wall posts on an old thread, and then an advert.

goddamn, no good spamming, slack-jawed, mono-brow troll.

"i myself" .... twit.

Spammers are getting ever so clever.