Mandatory medical insurance coverage for migrant workers, maids to rise

To help employers better manage their workers’ medical bills, they are required to purchase medical insurance with at least S$15,000 coverage for work permit and S Pass holders.

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

For amounts higher than S$15,000, there will be a new co-payment element for employers and insurers, up to an annual claim limit of at least S$60,000. 

For example, for a medical bill of S$70,000 today, the insurer will cover the first S$15,000 and the employer will bear the remaining S$55,000. 

With the enhanced medical insurance, the insurer will continue to cover the first S$15,000 in full. For the remaining S$55,000, the insurer will co-pay 75 per cent while the employer will pay the remaining bill. This means that the employer pays 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.