Enhanced Medical Insurance for Foreign Domestic Workers – Everything You Need to Know

Foreign workers and their employers will benefit from increased medical coverage requirements from July onwards. Here’s what you need to know about the changes.

From July 2023, employers are required to provide enhanced medical insurance coverage for work permit and S Pass holders. This includes foreign domestic workers, so those who employ maids at home should also take heed of the latest regulations. 

In this article, we’ll summarise the changes you need to know, as well as take a look at how insurers have enhanced their maid insurance plans.

Enhanced medical insurance for maids – What are the key changes?

Increase in annual claim limit to S$60,000

The most noteworthy change is the increase in medical coverage. From July onwards, employers are required to provide at least S$60,000 per year of medical coverage, a four-fold from the previous minimum of S$15,000 per year. 

This change provides domestic workers with greater assurance should they require hospitalisation or surgical procedures. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) estimates that this increase will cover up to 99% of medical bills among work permit and S Pass holders.

Co-pay of 25% by employers for claims exceeding first S$15,000

Employers will need to co-pay up to 25% of medical claims above the first S$15,000 in a year. Here’s an illustration of how this could potentially impact you.

• Hospitalisation bill: S$40,000
• Portion of bill subject to co-pay: S$40,000 - S$15,000 = S$25,000
• Employer’s co-pay: 25% x S$25,000 = S$6,250)
• Insurer’s payment: S$15,000 + (75% x S$25,000) = S$33,750 

As you can see, the co-pay requirement means employers face potentially increased expenses when employing a maid. 

However, the likelihood of your maid requiring medical care that exceeds S$15,000 a year is small. The MOM stated that the number of foreign workers whose medical bills exceed this threshold is around 5%.

Insurers will make payments directly to hospitals 

As foreign worker healthcare costs are not claimable under Medisave, employers would have to foot the medical bills out of pocket first, then make a claim from their insurers. 

The new regulations do away with this, as insurers are now required to make payments directly to hospitals. 

This change relieves employers from having to put up a large payment upfront should their domestic worker require hospitalisation.

Note that insurers are required to implement this change latest by 1 July 2025, although insurers may choose to offer this feature before the deadline. 

12-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions

This is a minor detail but still worth noting nonetheless.

Insurers are also not required to pay for claims arising from pre-existing illnesses occurring within 12 months of working for the same employer. 

Here’s how this may impact you. Let’s say your domestic worker was warded for high blood pressure six months into her contract with you. It was later found out that she has a history of the condition. 

In this scenario, if your insurer assesses your maid’s hypertension as a pre-existing condition, they may reject your medical claims.

Best insurance plans with enhanced maid coverage 

FWD Maid Insurance

FWD Maid Insurance offers among the highest sums assured for surgical and hospitalisation claims for your maid. All plans come with a S$60,000 claims limit, but you can increase this to S$120,000 with a paid add-on. 

Additionally, the mandatory 25% co-payment is waived if you choose the Exclusive plan tier, which brings your liability down to S$0. 

Your maid is also provided with personal accident benefits of up to S$60,000, up to $3,000 for accidental injury. Outpatient visits are also covered for up to S$30 per visit, after you’ve paid the first S$10.

HLAS Maid Protect360 Pro  

This plan provides between S$60,000 to S$80,000 coverage per year for your domestic helper’s surgical and hospitalisation claims, depending on the plan tier you choose. If you feel this is insufficient, you can top up the coverage by an additional S$10,000.

Except for the lowest-tier plan (Basic) all plans include a waiver of the 20% co-payment for surgical and hospital bills. 

This plan has high personal accident coverage built in, ranging from S$60,000 to S$100,000. There is also up to S$5,000 coverage for medical expenses due to accidental injury.

Another highlight of this plan is the high daily hospital allowance; this plan pays out up to S$50/day for a maximum of 30 days.

Tiq Maid Insurance 

Tiq Maid Insurance comes with a basic sum assured of S$60,000 for hospitalisation and surgical claims, with the option to increase this benefit by up to S$25,000. This means you can protect your domestic helper for up to S$85,000 with this plan. 

Waiver for co-payment is not included by default, but you can add-on this benefit via a paid rider. 

Other benefits provided to your maid include up to S$70,000 in personal accident coverage, and up to S$3,000 cover for medical expenses due to accidents or injury. Also available is a daily hospital allowance of up to S$20 per day for a maximum of 30 days.

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