The changes, according to MOH, will help bring health insurance back to its original objective to protect against larger healthcare bills. The ministry’s data shows private hospital IP policyholders with riders are 1.4 times as likely to make a claim, with an average claim size of 1.4 times that of those without riders.
Growing up, I’d often hear my grandmother say it’s better to die than to fall ill in Singapore. With the country’s medical cost inflation — having stayed below 10% in 2024, had shot up again and is seen to hit a new high of 16.9% in 2026, up from 2025 — she may be right.
On Nov 26, 2025, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced new requirements for integrated shield plan (IP) riders. From April 1, insurers can no longer sell riders that cover the minimum IP deductible, and the co-payment cap will also be doubled to a minimum of $6,000, excluding the minimum deductible. This means Singaporeans will have to pay more for smaller bills, but new riders are expected to be priced around 30% lower. All seven IP insurers have launched compliant products on April 1, with the new riders 16% to 84% cheaper than previous versions.
