2020 (Revised)This Guide is an initiative of the MoneySENSE national financial education
programme. The MoneySENSE programme brings together industry and public
sector initiatives to enhance the basic financial literacy of consumers.
The information in the Guide is of a general nature and may not apply to every
situation or to your own personal circumstances. This Guide should not be regarded
as a substitute for seeking legal advice on any specific issue. For educational
resources on personal financial matters and information on MoneySENSE events,
visit the MoneySENSE website at www.moneysense.gov.sg
Nothing in this Guide may be reproduced without the approval of LIA.
YGTHI May 2020 (Revised)

Contents
I.

What is health insurance?................................................................................ 2II.

What type of health insurance policy do I need?.............................................. 2
MediShield LifeIII.

How much health insurance should I buy?....................................................... 2IV.

What should I take note of when taking up additional health insurance
policies?........................................................................................................... 3
Having several medical expense policies
Switching between health insurance policies

V.

What key features should I look for in health insurance policies?.................... 3

This Guide provides general information about health insurance and the various policies that may
meet your needs. It gives you the information you should have before you buy any health insurance
policy or discuss your needs with a financial adviser or an insurance intermediary. This Guide should
be read together with the infographic provided on "Evaluating my Health Insurance Coverage".
I.

II.

Renewing a policy
Ending a policy
Policy exclusions
VI.

VII.

What should I consider when I am making an application for healthinsurance?........................................................................................................ 4

If you want to...
• have your medical expenses paid••••

You should consider...
Medical expense insurance (alsoknown as hospital and surgicalinsurance)
receive a fixed amount of cash when you are in hospital Hospital cash insurance
reduce your financial burden when you are diagnosed
Critical illness insurancewith a major illness (for example, cancer)
protect your income when you are disabled due to an
Disability income insurance
accident or illness
pay the cost of any care you need when you are tooLong-term care insurance
weak to look after yourself

Your duty to provide information

You can find more information about each type of policy under Part IX of this Guide.

Accepting your application

MediShield Life

How should I make a claim? ............................................................................5

VIII. What else should I know when I take up health insurance?............................. 5
Advice'Free look'
When you are in hospital
Worldwide cover
IX.

WHAT TYPE OF HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY DO I NEED?

The type of health insurance policy you would need depends on what you want protection against.

Age limit
Premiums

WHAT IS HEALTH INSURANCE?

Health insurance prevents you and your family from suffering a financial loss as a result of an
accident, illness or disability. It can provide an income while you are disabled or in hospital, or cover
the cost of your medical treatment or nursing care.

Information on specific types of health insurance policies............................... 6
Medical expense insurance
Hospital cash insurance (or hospital income insurance)
Critical illness insurance (or dread disease insurance)
Disability income insuranceLong-term care insurance

X.

Questions to ask before taking up health insurance.......................................10

XI.

Dispute resolution........................................................................................... 11

MediShield Life is a medical expense type of health insurance policy.
It is important to know that if you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, you are automaticallycovered under MediShield Life from 1 November 2015, even for your pre-existing conditions.
MediShield Life is a basic healthcare insurance designed to pay for hospitalisation in Class B2/C
wards in public hospitals. Coverage under MediShield Life is for life, and there is no age limit forentry into the scheme. You will not lose your MediShield Life coverage even if you have financial
difficulties, as there will be help for those who are unable to afford premiums even after Government
subsidies. Read more about MediShield Life on page 6.
III.

HOW MUCH HEALTH INSURANCE SHOULD I BUY?

If you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, you should first decide if you need additional
healthcare insurance beyond MediShield Life.
In deciding the amount of insurance cover to purchase, consideration should be given to:(i)Your healthcare needs;(ii) Employer medical benefits;(iii) Your hospital/ward class preference;(iv) Whether you would want to choose your own doctor;(v) Level of income protection you require if you become ill or disabled; and(vi) Your ability to pay premiums over the long-term.
You may have to prioritise your needs and structure your health insurance according to your ability
to pay the premiums.

IV.

WHAT SHOULD I TAKE NOTE OF WHEN TAKING UP ADDITIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES?

You should check whether you are already covered under another health insurance policy before
you buy a new one. In particular, you should take note of the following:
Having several medical expense policies
With medical expense insurance, the total benefit you will get is limited to your actual expenses.
So taking up extra policies does not necessarily provide extra benefits. If you are a Singapore Citizen
or Permanent Resident, you may wish to check if your health insurance policy coverage has duplicationin coverage with MediShield Life.
If your health policy is an Integrated Shield Plan, it is integrated with MediShield Life. There is no
duplication of benefits and no double payment of premiums. Integrated Shield Plans provide additional
private insurance coverage on top of MediShield Life and payouts from such policies comprise both
the MediShield Life component and the additional private insurance component.
Switching between health insurance policies
Apart from MediShield Life, health insurance policies usually do not cover pre-existing conditions,i.e. any illness or disability you already have at the time you sign up. Therefore, you should consider
your health status before switching from one health insurance policy to another that provides more
benefits. You should note that the new health insurance policy that you switch to may not provide
you with the same coverage, should there be a change in your health status.
V.

WHAT KEY FEATURES SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES?

Age limit
Most health insurance policies are not available to people over a certain age. Therefore, it is generally
better for you to purchase health insurance at an early age while you are still healthy and able toget all the benefits of health insurance.
Some health insurance policies provide cover for your whole life, but others cover you only up to acertain age. You should choose a policy with a length of cover that suits your needs.
Premiums
Different policies may charge premiums in different ways. You will have to pay regular premiums
throughout the life of the policy. The amount of the premiums may increase as you grow older.
In particular, you may wish to note that premiums for health insurance covering medical expenses
will increase with age. Increased consumption of medical services drives up claims costs. As claims
and medical costs increase, your premiums will also increase over time. Further, for these policies,
the insurer may have the right to change the premium at any time by giving you written notice. The
premiums in the premium schedule that you are given when you buy your policy may not apply infuture. You should find out whether a policy you are considering allows the insurer to do this.
You must pay the premiums when they become due in order to keep your cover. So before you
buy any health insurance policy, you should make sure you can afford to pay the premiums overthe long term.
Renewing a policy
Some health insurance policies covering medical and hospitalisation expenses may guarantee coveras long as premiums are paid when due while others give insurers the right to cancel your coverby giving you written notice before your policy is due for renewal.

If you buy a policy that guarantees to cover you while you keep paying your premiums, you will notneed to worry about your cover being cancelled. However, even if your cover is guaranteed, somehealth insurance policies allow insurers to change the benefits, premium rates or other terms andconditions when the policies are due for renewal (usually every year on the anniversary of the
inception of the cover). Make sure you are clear about the terms and conditions of the policy before
you buy it.
Ending a policyYour health insurance policy may end when:•
you reach the maximum age stated in your policy;•
you have received the maximum benefits that can be paid under the policy;•
the insurer cancels your cover; or•
you fail to pay your premiums.
If the policy ends because you have failed to pay any premium, you can ask your insurer to provide
cover again. However, insurers will usually consider your age and health status at the time they
start to provide cover again. The insurer may offer you a cover with higher premiums or with exclusions
to the policy. Worse, the insurer may refuse to offer you a cover.
Policy exclusions
All health insurance policies contain some ‘exclusions’ setting out the circumstances under which
benefits will not be paid. As exclusions vary from policy to policy, you should read the policy document
carefully to find out exactly what you are or are not covered for. Check with your financial adviser
or insurance intermediary if you are not sure.
A common exclusion in health insurance is a ‘pre-existing condition’ exclusion. This exclusion meansthat any illness or disability that you have, or have had, when you sign up for the insurance policy
will not be covered. This may include any illness or disability that you have but are not aware ofwhen you purchase the policy. Therefore, it is important that you buy health insurance while you
are young and healthy in order to enjoy the full benefits of the policy. You should bear in mind thatthe definition of ‘pre-existing condition’ can vary from policy to policy.
If you already have a medical condition when you apply for health insurance, you must give detailsof this condition in your application. The insurer will then decide whether or not to provide full coverfor that medical condition.
MediShield Life
You should note that MediShield Life operates differently from private medical expense insurance
plans. MediShield Life is compulsory for all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. It provides
cover for life for treatments in Singapore, regardless of pre-existing medical conditions or othercircumstances that you face. There is no age limit for entry into the scheme. If you are a Singapore
Citizen or Permanent Resident, you may wish to factor this into your decision to purchase another
health insurance policy.
VI.

WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER WHEN I AM MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR HEALTH INSURANCE?

Your duty to provide information
An insurance contract is based on trust. When you apply for health insurance, you must provide
all the information asked for. Such information would include your age and occupation, and any
history of illnesses, medical conditions or disability.
If you do not provide important or accurate information when you apply for health insurance, it could
lead to the policy being voided (or invalidated) and the insurance company will not pay out in theevent of a claim. If you are not sure whether certain information is important, you should still provide
the details. This includes any information you may have given to the financial adviser or insuranceintermediary but not included in your application.

The insurer will assess the information you have given them, and decide whether or not to accept
your application. If you are not in good health, the insurer may:i)
Provide cover subject to certain exclusions;
ii)
Increase the premium charged to cover your existing medical conditions; oriii) Reject your application.
VII. HOW SHOULD I MAKE A CLAIM?
To make a claim, you usually need to fill in a claim form from the insurer and provide proof (suchas hospital bills, medical reports, test results and declarations of income) to support your claim.
You may be required to pay any fees associated with obtaining the necessary supporting documents
for example, medical reports.
You may be asked to provide additional supporting documents if the insurer needs more information
to assess your claim.
You should make any claim as soon as possible. Most health insurance policies set a period in which
you must tell the insurer about a claim.
VIII. WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW WHEN I TAKE UP HEALTH INSURANCE?
AdviceIf you need advice on whether or not to buy health insurance, and what type of insurance to buy,
you may approach a financial adviser or an insurance intermediary regulated by the Monetary
Authority of Singapore (MAS). It is important that you ask whether the representative or intermediary
has the necessary health insurance qualification. You can refer to the Financial Institutions Directoryon the MAS website (www.mas.gov.sg) for a list of the entities regulated by MAS.
‘Free look’
Most health insurance policies provide you 14 days from date of receipt of your policy wordings toreview your new policy while Integrated Shield Plans provide you 21 days from date of receipt ofyour policy wordings to review your policy. During this time, if you decide that the policy does notmeet your needs, the insurer will refund all your premiums less any medical and other expenses
they have had to pay. You will need to send the insurer written notice that you want to cancel yourpolicy within 14 days (or 21 days for Integrated Shield Plans) of the date you receive your policy.
When you are in hospital
In Singapore, high-quality public and private healthcare is easily available. However, the cost ofhealthcare differs greatly between private and public hospitals, and between different types of ward.
When you need to be admitted into hospital, you should:•
check the ward charges and the costs of medical treatment recommended by your doctor;•
check what ward class you are entitled to stay in under your health insurance policy, andhow much of the costs will be covered by your health insurance policy;•
consider the options available to you; and•choose your ward or treatment according to what you can afford.
Worldwide coverSome health insurance policies covering medical and hospitalisation expenses provide coverage
anywhere in the world. However, some policies have ‘geographic limits’ which means that treatment
provided in certain countries or regions will not be covered.
You should also know that for treatment provided overseas, some policies will pay only up to theamount that would be charged in Singapore, if that treatment is available locally. If you are likely
to be living or working overseas, you should discuss your specific needs with your financial adviser
or insurance intermediary before you take up the policy.

IX.

INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC TYPES OF HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIESThe following section briefly explains what each type of health insurance policy covers, and provides
general information about the different policies. As the terms and conditions may not be exactly
the same for every health insurance policy, you should check the details of your policy and speak
to your financial adviser or insurance intermediary if you are not sure.
Medical expense insurance
Medical expense insurance reimburses the medical expenses incurred as a result of an accident
or illness. The policy will pay expenses for inpatient medical treatment or surgery, some outpatientcharges for day surgery, consultation with specialists before and after the hospital stay, and X-rays
and laboratory tests.
‘Major’ medical expense insurance will pay expenses for longer hospital stays due to a major illness
or for major surgery such as heart bypass surgery or organ transplant.
Medical expense insurance will not pay you more than the actual medical expenses incurred,regardless of the number of policies you have. There are also limits to the amount you can claim
under each medical expense insurance policy. The policy may include limits for all claims as wellas limits for each illness, disability, year or lifetime. If you have more than one medical expense
policy, and your medical expenses exceed the claim limits of any one medical expense policy alone,
you may claim the outstanding amount from other medical expense policies that you have. This issubject to the deductibles and co-insurance of each policy and the total reimbursement you will
get from all your medical expense policies is limited to your actual expenses. Policies may also
have exclusions for treatment of certain illnesses, such as pre-existing conditions, or treatment thatis not medically required.
A medical expense policy may have a waiting period
during which expenses will not be paid unless they relate
to accidental injuries.
Some medical expense policies may also have‘deductible’ and ‘co-insurance’ features. A deductible(A) is the fixed amount you have to pay in a policy year
before any policy benefits are paid out. The co-insurance(B) is the percentage of the bill you have to pay on the
portion of the bill on top of the deductible. The coloured
portion (C) of the diagram shows what is payable by
the medical expense policy. So, you will not receive
the full medical expenses from this type of policy.
However, you may be able to use Medisave to pay forthe remaining portions not paid out by your insurance
policy, up to the prevailing Medisave limits (D).

Portion of bill above claim limits if
applicable (D)Co-insurance (B)Accepting your application

Portion of Bill
Covered by
Insurance (C)Deductible (A)MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plans
What is MediShield Life?
MediShield Life is the national basic healthcare insurance scheme run by the Central Provident
Fund Board (“CPF Board”). MediShield Life replaced MediShield from 1 November 2015, andcovers all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents for life, in line with the principle ofuniversal coverage. There is no need to apply for MediShield Life.
MediShield Life is designed to help pay for large hospital bills and expensive outpatient treatments
such as kidney dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. It is basic because it is sized for Class
B2/C wards and subsidised treatments in the public hospitals. Even if you incur bills in ClassA, B1 or B2+ wards in public hospitals, or in private hospitals, you will still be able to claim from
MediShield Life, but the claim will be adjusted to the equivalent Class B2/C bills and then subject
to MediShield Life claim limits.

For more information
You can refer to www.medishieldlife.sg for information on MediShield Life (including on MediShield
Life premium subsidies) and Medisave-approved IPs.

Additional Premiums
Those with serious pre-existing conditions may have to pay Additional Premiums (of 30% of
standard MediShield Life premiums) for 10 years. The Additional Premiums does not reflect
the actual costs of their coverage, as the bulk of the costs of covering those with serious preexisting conditions will be taken up by the Government.

To check if you already have an IP, please go to cpf.gov.sg>Log on to my cpf Online Services(You will need your SingPass)>My messages>Insurance

Government Support for MediShield Life Premiums
The Government will help Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents with their MediShield
Life premiums, including those who need to pay Additional Premiums. There are Additional
Premium Support for those who are unable to afford their premiums even after subsidies. No
one will lose MediShield Life coverage due to the inability to afford premiums. More informationon the premium subsidies is available on MOH’s website: https://www.moh.gov.
sg/content/moh_web/medishield-life/premiums---subsidies/types-of-premium-subsidies.html
What is an Integrated Shield Plan (IP)?
Some insurance companies offer Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) that provide higher medical
coverage than MediShield Life. IPs comprise two parts - basic MediShield Life, and an additional
private insurance portion run by private insurers, typically to cover Class A/B1 wards in public
hospitals or private hospitals. The insurance companies which offer IPs are listed on MOH’s
website: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/medishield-life/integrated-shield-plans/aboutintegrated-shield-plans--ips-.html
Provides higher coverage(e.g. to cover the costs ofprivate hospitals or Class B1 or
A wards in public hospitals)

An Integrated
Shield Plan
has two parts:

Additional Private
Insurance Coverage

Managed by a private insurer

Please go to https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/medishield-life/integrated-shieldplans/comparison--of-integrated-shield-plans.html for a comparison of the different Integrated
Shield Plans that are available in the market. For more information about applying for IPs, pleasecontact any financial adviser or insurance intermediary from the insurers that offer them.
Hospital cash insurance (or hospital income insurance)
Hospital cash insurance pays a fixed amount of benefit for each day you are hospitalised for medical
treatment or surgery, regardless of the actual expenses incurred for your hospital stay, and is inaddition to any medical expense policy that you may have. This means that the total amount paid
under the hospital cash insurance may be more or less than your actual expenses.
A hospital cash policy may have a waiting period, which is a period from the date the insurance
coverage commences. During the waiting period, no benefits are payable. The benefits may also
be paid for only a set number of days each year, or for the life of the policy. (In this case, the policy
will end once the lifetime limit has been reached.) Waiting periods and benefit limits may vary acrosspolicies.
Critical illness insurance (or dread disease insurance)

Enough to cover your large
hospital bills in Class B2 or C
wards in public hospitals
Managed by the Central
Provident Fund (CPF) Board

MediShield Life
•Diagram is not drawn to scale

From 1 May 2016, apart from their existing products, all IP insurers are required to provide theStandard IP. The Standard IP is an affordable plan targeted at B1 coverage with standardised
benefits across insurers.
If you are deciding whether you should get an IP, you should consider if you wish to stayin a private or subsidised ward in a public hospital, or in a private hospital, and if you
wish to choose your own doctor, in the event that you are hospitalised. You also needto consider whether you can afford the IP premiums in the long-term.
As those who have IPs are already covered under MediShield Life, there is no duplication ofcoverage between IPs and MediShield Life. Policyholders pay one premium for coverage underboth MediShield Life and the private insurance portion. You will only need to make one claim
from the private insurer, but the payout will be made up of a MediShield Life component andan additional private insurance component.

Critical illness insurance pays a lump sum benefit to the policyholder in the event that he is diagnosed
to be suffering from one of the critical illnesses or has undergone a surgical procedure covered by
the policy, and is in addition to any medical expense policy that you may have.
Critical illness cover can be sold as a stand-alone policy or as an optional rider attached to a main
policy.
Each critical illness condition or surgery covered by the policy is precisely defined in the policy
contract. The benefits will be paid only if the policyholder suffers from a condition that meets thestated definition.
The definition of critical illness condition can be broadly classified into three stages of diseaseprogression, namely “mild-moderate” stage, “severe” stage or “extremely severe” stage. The “severe”
stage is also commonly known as “late stage” critical illness.
While most critical illness policies cover critical illness conditions under the “severe” stage, some
may also include coverage for critical illness under the “mild-moderate” stage and/or “extremely
severe” stage.
Research findings1 indicate that the following five core critical illnesses make up more than 90 per
cent of all “severe” critical illness claims received by insurers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

MediShield Life premiums are fully payable by Medisave. If you or your family members haveIPs, the MediShield Life portion of the IP premium is fully payable by Medisave, and you canalso use Medisave to pay for the private insurance portion of your IP premiums, up to theprevailing Additional Withdrawal Limits (AWLs) set by the Ministry of Health.
1

Major Cancers
Heart Attack of Specified Severity
Coronary Artery By-pass Surgery
StrokeKidney Failure

Gen Re's 'Dread Disease Survey 2004 -2008'

The insurance industry has adopted standard definitions for the severe stage of 37 common critical
illnesses, which include the five core illnesses. The standardisation enables consumers to compare
such policies offered by different insurers. When making a claim with more than one insurer,a policyholder is assured that the insurers concerned will assess his or her claims based on
identical definitions. This helps to enhance the consistency in the payment of claims.
For a copy of the standard definitions, please go to the website of Life Insurance Association
Singapore (www.lia.org.sg) or General Insurance Association of Singapore (www.gia.org.sg).
The definitions for critical illnesses falling under the “mild-moderate” stage or “extremely severe”
stage are not standardised and are worded by each insurer. Claims assessment across insurers
will not be based on identical definitions. Consumers should study these definitions and consider if
the definitions meet their needs.
Consumers should also take into account the amount payable at the different stages of a critical
illness, when making comparisons. Different policies may have different payouts based on thevarious stages of a critical illness.
Waiting Period
A critical illness policy may have a waiting period for certain critical illnesses from thedate the policy commences. If any such critical illness is diagnosed or surgery is carriedout on such critical illness during the waiting period, no benefits would be payable.
The waiting period helps to safeguard against consumers who may attempt to buy a policy only at
the point when they suspect something may be amiss with their health.
Disability income insurance
Disability income insurance pays a fixed amount each month in the event you suffer a disability due
to an accident or illness. These policies aim to ease your financial burden, and are not intended tocompletely replace the income you earned before the accident or illness. So, disability
income insurance usually pays no more than 80% of your average monthly salary.
Disability income insurance may have a deferment period during which benefits will not be paid.
Payment of benefits will usually start to be paid only if you are continuously disabled for longer thanthe deferment period. The monthly income benefit will usually be paid for up to five or 10 years, oruntil you are 60 or 65. Payment of benefits will stop once you can start working again, or it may be
reduced in proportion to any recovery you make. (Any recovery is decided through medical checkups carried out by the insurer.)

Some long-term care policies pay benefits for up to a set number of years. Once the benefits havebeen paid for that number of years, the policy will end. Other long-term care policies pay benefits
for life as long as you meet the conditions for making a claim. There is also a deferment period, so
benefit payments will begin only after you have not been able to perform the minimum number ofactivities for at least a set period of time.
ElderShield
ElderShield is the national severe disability insurance scheme which provides basic financial
protection to those who need long-term care, especially during old age. Depending on the policy
the policyholder has, ElderShield may provide a monthly cash payout of $300 for up to 60 months
or $400 for up to 72 months to help pay the out-of-pocket expenses for the care of a severelydisabled person. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents with Medisave accounts areautomatically covered under ElderShield at the age of 40.
The appointed ElderShield insurers also offer optional additional coverage (ElderShield
Supplements) on top of the ElderShield policy at additional premiums. These ElderShield
Supplements offer additional monthly payouts, or an extension of the payout period, or a
combination of both.
ElderShield premiums are determined at the age of entry and do not increase with age. Premiums
are payable annually until age 65 and can be fully payable via Medisave, or by cash. For
ElderShield Supplements, premiums can be payable via Medisave up to $600 per person peryear, or by cash.
You can refer to the Ministry of Health website (www.moh.gov.sg) for information on ElderShield.
For more information about applying for ElderShield and ElderShield Supplements, please contact
any financial adviser or insurance intermediary from the appointed ElderShield insurers.
X. QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE TAKING UP HEALTH INSURANCE•

What will my health insurance policy cover?

•

Am I already covered for the same thing under another health insurance policy?

•

What doesn’t the health insurance policy cover and when will I not be covered?

•

How much will I be paying for my health insurance and will I be able to afford the premiums
over the long term?

•

How often will the premium be charged and will it be a fixed or variable sum?

The most important thing to consider when taking up disability income insurance is the definition of
disability used in the policy. Some policies define disability as not being able to perform your usual
work, while others define it as not being able to do any work at all. As the probability of claiming
under the second definition is lower than under the first, the premium will also be lower (as long as
all other terms and conditions are the same). You should also bear in mind that there are otherdefinitions of disability. Check with your financial adviser or insurance intermediary on
the definitions used in your policy.

•

Will my policy automatically be renewed and what is the penalty if I do not pay any premium
on time?

•

When or in what circumstances will my health insurance policy end?

Long-term care insurance•

How do I end my policy?

Long-term care insurance pays a fixed amount of benefit each month towards expenses for longterm nursing treatment.

•

How do I make a claim?

•

Are there any limits to the benefits that can be paid out from my policy?

•

How will my future premiums be affected after I have made a claim?

•

Will I be covered for medical treatment performed outside Singapore?

•

How is my health insurance policy affected by other schemes that pay for healthcare?

Benefits are paid when you cannot perform some ‘activities of daily living’. These include bathing,
dressing, feeding, going to the toilet and moving around. The definitions of ‘activities of daily living’
and the minimum number of activities you must not be able to perform to qualify for the payment ofbenefits may vary from one policy to another. Payment of benefits will stop once the number ofactivities you cannot perform falls below the minimum stipulated in your policy.

XI. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
If you have a complaint about your insurance policy, you should first refer the matter to your insureror the insurance adviser who sold you the insurance policy. However, if you fail to reach an agreement,
the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre Ltd (FIDReC) provides an independent alternative
dispute resolution scheme. You must lodge your complaint with FIDReC within six months fromthe date when you failed to reach an agreement with your insurer.
FIDReC is staffed by full-time employees who are familiar with insurance law and practice. FIDReC
aims to tackle and sort out disputes in a fair and cost-efficient way. This should hopefully mean
you avoid time-consuming, stressful and costly legal proceedings.
At present, there is no claim limit for mediation at FIDReC, but there is a limit of up to S$100,000
per claim for adjudications.
FIDReC’s rulings are final and binding on the financial institution, but not on you. You may choose
to accept or reject FIDReC’s decision. If you are unhappy with the ruling by FIDReC, you can choose
to pursue legal action or other options such as approaching the Consumers Association of Singapore,
the Singapore Mediation Centre or the Small Claims Tribunal. However, if you do accept FIDReC’s
ruling, you may lose your right to proceed with legal action against the financial institution.
You can contact FIDReC at:
36 Robinson Road #15-01 City House
Singapore 068877
Tel: +65 6327 8878 Fax: +65 6327 8488
Email: info@fidrec.com.sg
Website: www.fidrec.com.sg

LIFE INSURANCE ASSOCIATION, SINGAPORE
79 Anson Road, #11-05
Singapore 079906
Tel: +65 6438 8900
Email: lia@lia.org.sg
Website: www.lia.org.sg

GENERAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
79 Robinson Rd, #07-01
Singapore 068897
Tel: +65 6221 8788
Email: feedback@gia.org.sg
Website: www.gia.org.sg