Integrated Shield Plans are optional private health insurance plans that provides you with additional coverage on top of Singapore's basic MediShield Life, combining MediShield Life with private coverage for higher-class wards (Class A or Class B1) in public hospitals or private hospitals, covering more costs like pre- and post-hospitalisation, with premiums payable via MediSave up to a cap.

Integrated Shield Plans comprise two components:  

• The first component is MediShield Life, administered by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board. MediShield Life is a basic health insurance plan sized for subsidised treatment in public hospitals. MediShield Life provides protection for all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents for life, including for any serious pre-existing conditions. 
• The second is an additional private insurance component administered by private insurers. This component provides additional coverage, typically to cover Class A/B1 wards in public hospitals or private hospitals, and may also provide additional benefits (e.g., coverage for pre-/post-hospitalisation). 

Integrated Shield Plans offer more comprehensive coverage but at higher premiums, and riders can further reduce out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles.

The decision to purchase an Integrated Shield Plan depends on your individual healthcare needs, budget and preferences.

You should buy a plan that meets your needs, taking into consideration what you would like to be covered for and whether you can afford the plan, especially in the long term.

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Choose Your Preferred Hospital Type and Ward Class

Your preferred hospital type and/or ward class directly determines your premiums and type of Integrated Shield Plan. Generally, the higher the ward class or hospital type, the higher your premiums and potential out-of-pocket costs.

In choosing your Integrated Shield Plan, you should consider if you prefer comfortable and convenient private hospital ward settings with shorter treatment waiting times or cost savings in terms of lower premiums but less comfortable ward and treatment settings.

• Private Hospitals – Full private hospital amenities and ward settings, choice of your preferred doctor, and shorter waiting times
• Class A – Class A wards within Public/Restructured Hospitals (Air-conditioned single room with attached bathroom)
• Class B1 – Class B1 wards within Public/Restructured Hospitals (Air-conditioned, 4-bedded ward with shared bathroom)
• Standard – Standardized coverage for Class B1 wards within Public/Restructured Hospitals (Air-conditioned, 4-bedded ward with shared bathroom)
• MediShield Life – Class B2/C wards within Public/Restructured Hospitals (Fan-ventilated, 6-bedded ward with shared bathroom)

In general, many Private Hospital and Class A/B1 Integrated Shield Plans also allow you to choose your preferred doctor. Under MediShield Life, you would not be able to select a preferred doctor and would usually be under the care of a team of doctors supervised by a senior doctor.

Please note that Insurers generally have a panel of medical specialists and you should check the availability of you preferred doctor on your Insurer’s main panel or extended panel.

Check Lifetime Premium Affordability

Consider if you can afford an Integrated Shield Plan in the long run as premiums would increase as you age and may become unaffordable for your financial situation especially in your later years.

Please refer to the Ministry of Health’s Comparison of Integrated Shield Plans or the premium tables for your Integrated Shield Plan for more details on the premiums that you would need to pay for your Integrated Shield Plan over your lifetime.

Specific Healthcare Concerns

Integrated Shield Plans with the same Hospital Type and/or Ward Class generally have comparable coverage with some small differences. However, if you have any specific healthcare concerns, you should check if your Integrated Shield Plan provides coverage for your specific area of concern.

Additional Benefits

Integrated Shield Plans with the same Hospital Type and/or Ward Class generally have comparable coverage with some small differences. However, some Integrated Shield Plans may provide additional benefits that cover specific treatments and/or services that may be applicable to your specific circumstances.

Check Deductible and Co-Insurance Affordability

A deductible is the initial amount you must pay for your medical expenses out of pocket before your Integrated Shield Plan makes a payout. For example, if you have a $5,000 hospital bill with a $3,500 deductible, you will have to pay $3,500 out of pocket while your Integrated Shield Plan pays the remaining $1,500.

Generally, Integrated Shield Plans with lower premiums usually have higher deductibles. The deductible is calculated per policy year i.e. you would only be charged for the deductible once per policy year.

Co-insurance refers to the portion of the bill you have to pay out of pocket after you pay the deductible. For example, if you have a co-insurance of 10%, you will pay 10% of the hospital bill after paying the deductible.

Generally, you can use MediSave up to prevailing limits to pay for the deductible and co-insurance not paid by your Integrated Shield Plan.

Check the affordability of the deductible and co-insurance before you select an Integrated Shield Plan.

Rider Affordability

An Integrated Shield Plan Rider is an optional add-on to your Integrated Shield Plan that lowers your out-of-pocket hospital costs, primarily by covering the deductible and reducing the co-insurance.

If you are interested in adding a Rider to your Integrated Shield Plan, check the premiums that you would need to pay for your Integrated Shield Plan over your lifetime to ensure that they are affordable for your situation, especially in your later years.

Check Claim Limits

Check if the Claim Limits of your Integrated Shield Plan are suitable for your circumstances.

Treatment Claim Limits

Treatment Claim Limits are the maximum amounts an insurer will pay for specific covered diseases, treatments or services.

Policy Year Limit

A Policy Year Limit is the maximum total amount an insurance company will pay for claims within a 12-month policy term.

Please refer to the Premium Tables for your Integrated Shield Plan for a breakdown of the payable premiums.

Browse Integrated Shield Plans

The MediShield Life component of your Integrated Shield Plan is fully payable by MediSave.

The additional Private Insurance component is also payable by MediSave, but only up to the following Additional Withdrawal Limits.

Any excess would need to be paid in cash.

Please refer to the Premium Tables for your Integrated Shield Plan for a breakdown of the payable premiums.

Browse Integrated Shield Plans

Premium refers to the amount you need to pay your Insurer to be covered under your selected Integrated Shield Plan.

Integrated Shield Plan Pro-ration Factors are percentage adjustments applied to hospital bills when you receive treatment in a ward class or hospital type higher than your plan’s entitlement.

For example, if you have a Class A Integrated Shield Plan but choose to seek treatment in a Private Hospital, your insurer would apply the applicable pro-ration factor to your hospitalization bill to scale it back to the costs of the ward class that the plan is designed for.

This mechanism ensures policyholders pay a higher share of costs for voluntary, non-subsidized care, keeping premiums fair
by reducing cross-subsidization.

A Deductible is the initial amount you must pay for your medical expenses out of pocket before your Integrated Shield Plan makes a payout. For example, if you have a $5,000 hospital bill with a $3,500 Deductible, you will have to pay $3,500 out of pocket while your Integrated Shield Plan pays the remaining $1,500.

Generally, Integrated Shield Plans with lower Premiums usually have higher Deductibles. The Deductible is calculated per policy year i.e. you would only be charged for the deductible once per policy year.

Generally, you can use MediSave up to prevailing limits to pay for the Deductible not paid by your Integrated Shield Plan.

Co-insurance refers to the portion of the bill you have to pay out of pocket after you pay the deductible. For example, if you have a Co-Insurance of 10%, you will pay 10% of the hospital bill after paying the deductible.

Generally, you can use MediSave up to prevailing limits to pay for the Co-Insurance not paid by your Integrated Shield Plan.

An Integrated Shield Plan Rider is an optional add-on to your Integrated Shield Plan.

Most Integrated Shield Plan Riders are designed to lower your out-of-pocket hospital costs, primarily by covering the deductible and reducing the co-insurance.

MediShield Life is a basic health insurance plan, administered by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, which helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. With MediShield Life, patients pay less through MediSave or cash for large hospital bills.

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MediShield Life benefits are sized for subsidised treatment in public hospitals (e.g. treatments in Class B2/C wards). If you choose to stay in a Class A/B1 ward or in a private hospital, you are still covered by MediShield Life. However, you will find that your MediShield Life payout will cover a smaller proportion of your bill. You may need to draw from MediSave and/or cash to pay the balance.

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All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, including the very old and those who have pre-existing conditions.

View MediShield Life Premiums

MediShield Life premiums are deducted automatically from your MediSave Account for your convenience. If you do not have sufficient MediSave to pay for your premiums, you can top up your MediSave account via voluntary contributions with cash, subject to the relevant limits. Family members such as your parents or spouse can also help to pay for your premiums using their MediSave.

MediShield Life premiums are deducted automatically from your MediSave Account for your convenience. If you do not have sufficient MediSave to pay for your premiums, you can top up your MediSave account via voluntary contributions with cash, subject to the relevant limits. Family members such as your parents or spouse can also help to pay for your premiums using their MediSave.

1. Consultation – Consult doctor for treatment options
2. Pre-Hospitalization Payment (If Applicable) – Please note that you may need to pay for your Pre-Hospitalization costs in full before you can submit a claim for reimbursement from your Insurer
3. Pre-Authorization (If Applicable) – Apply for Pre-Authorization with Insurer
4. Financial Counselling – The hospital would advise you on the associated costs and provide you with a bill estimate along with a breakdown of the associated costs including the upfront cash deposit required, estimated amounts that you can claim from MediShield Life and/or your Integrated Shield Plan, and the possible amounts that you can withdraw from MediSave
5. Letter of Guarantee (If Applicable) – Apply for a Letter of Guarantee from your Insurer for a full or partial waiver of the initial upfront cash deposit required by the hospital
6. Upfront Deposit – If applicable, pay the portion of the cash deposit not covered by the Letter of Guarantee
7. MediSave Withdrawal – You may be able to use your MediSave or the MediSave of a family member to pay for the upfront cash deposit up to the applicable withdrawal limits
8. Final Bill – After your hospitalization, the hospital would provide you with a final bill
9. Integrated Shield Plan Claim – The hospital would submit a claim to your insurer for the relevant hospitalization costs
10. Final Payment – If applicable, you might need to make cash payment for portions of the bill not covered by MediShield Life, your Integrated Shield Plan or amounts above the relevant MediSave withdrawal limits
11. Refund (If Applicable) - Any credit balance following payment of the outstanding hospital bill will be used to offset other outstanding bills that you may have in the same payment account, and a refund will be issued by the hospital to you If there are no other outstanding bills
12. Post Hospitalization Payment (If Applicable) – Please note that you may need to pay for your Post-Hospitalization costs in full before you can submit a claim for reimbursement from your Insurer
13. Pre and Post Hospitalization Claims (If Applicable) – After your main claim has been successfully processed by your Insurer, you can submit claims for applicable Pre and Post Hospitalization costs subject to the terms and conditions of your Integrated Shield Plan

Please note that the steps listed here are a general description of the process and your actual experience might differ. Please refer to the Financial Counselling Department of your hospital or your Insurer for more accurate information on your hospitalization payment process.

Generally, the hospital would submit a claim to your insurer for the relevant hospitalization costs on your behalf.

Most insurers also provide a customer or claims portal where you can submit a claim online and provide any relevant documents.

Please contact your insurer for more details on the claims process.

Depending on the features and exclusions under your policy, not every Integrated Shield Plan claim results in a payout.

Some common reasons you may not receive a payout for the additional private insurance component include:

• Claim is less than or equal to deductible
• General Exclusion e.g. drug addiction/alcoholism not covered
• Pre-existing illness
• Full payment by third party payer e.g. company group insurance
• Lifetime/policy/monthly limit has reached

Integrated Shield Plan Pre-Authorization is getting your insurer's approval before hospitalization or surgery to confirm coverage, manage costs, and potentially avoid upfront deposits.

The process usually requires your doctor's details and medical information, with turnaround times varying, and is often smoother when using a panel hospital or doctor. This might involve your doctor submitting forms to the insurer for review of planned treatment against your policy benefits.

Pre-Authorization provides assurance that a specific medical treatment, procedure, and its estimated costs have been reviewed and approved before the treatment takes place. It provides assurance that your insurer has agreed to cover the treatment under your policy terms allowing for peace of mind and better cost management.

Please note that not all Integrated Shield Plan Insurers provide Pre-Authorization.

For more information regarding Pre-Authorization and your insurance coverage, please contact with your Insurer.

Your Pre-Authorization Request may be rejected, some common reasons include:

• The treatment cost exceeds your policy’s coverage limits
• The estimated bill is significantly higher than what the insurer deems reasonable
• The treatment is not considered medically necessary by the insurer
• The treatment is being performed by a doctor or hospital outside the insurer’s approved panel

For more information regarding Pre-Authorization and your insurance coverage, please contact with your Insurer.

All Integrated Shield Plan Insurers provide a Letter of Guarantee.

An Integrated Shield Plan Letter of Guarantee is an insurer's promise to a hospital to cover the insured portion of a bill, allowing for a full or partial waiver of the initial upfront cash deposit required by the hospital for hospitalizations, but it is not a guarantee of claim approval and still requires post-discharge settlement for non-covered costs.

Please note that the Letter of Guarantee might not cover the full upfront cash deposit, and the hospital might still require you to pay the portion of the cash deposit not covered by the Letter of Guarantee.

For Integrated Shield Plans with standard terms (i.e. you do not have any exclusions for your Integrated Shield Plans), inform hospital staff you have an Integrated Shield Plan, and they'll liaise with your insurer electronically or physically, with the process often instant for selected hospitals.

For Integrated Shield Plans with non-standard terms (i.e. you have exclusions for your Integrated Shield Plan), you may need to contact your insurer to apply for a Letter of Guarantee.

For more information regarding Letter of Guarantee and your insurance coverage, please contact with your Insurer.

Having an Integrated Shield Plan does not mean that your insurer will always provide an Letter of Guarantee when you need treatment at a hospital. Your insurance coverage may differ from other policyholders, and your insurer may be unable to ascertain at the start of your treatment whether your treatment is claimable under your insurance coverage.

Some common reasons as follows:

• Estimated bill size is below the deductible
• Duration between policy inception and Letter of Guarantee application is shorter than insurer's stipulated minimum duration for Letter of Guarantee eligibility
• Medical condition is a pre-existing medical condition that the policyholder had before the commencement of the policy
• Medical condition is excluded from the policy
• General exclusions, such as pregnancy and maternity expenses

For more information regarding Letter of Guarantee and your insurance coverage, please contact with your Insurer.