Want to Know How Much You’ll Spend on Critical Illness Care Without Proper Coverage?

Did you know that a patient in Singapore will spend an average $32,000 for critical illness treatments? In a December 2019 survey, Manulife found that Singaporeans spent an average of $32,000 treating critical illnesses, while 15% of those surveyed spent more than $50,000 (Manulife 2020⁴).

It’s important to understand that skipping critical illness insurance can be a costly mistake, no matter the age or stage of your life. While we often consider what would happen to our families if we were to die prematurely, we rarely consider the physical and financial toll critical illness would take on our loved ones if we were unprepared. Here are things to consider if you’re still unsure of the importance of critical illness coverage.

The Chances of Being Diagnosed with A Critical Illness is High (NRDO (June 2017)⁵

The National Registry of Diseases Office estimates one in every four or five Singaporeans are at risk for developing cancer (NRDO 2017⁵). 25% of women and 20% of men on average will either suffer from cancer or a heart attack before retiring (Money to the Masses 2020¹). Since critical illness coverage is often available for people between the ages of 17 and 70, the earlier you get covered, the sooner you will be financially protected.

Standard Health Insurance Will Not Cover All Expenses Accrued from A Critical Illness (Kumok, Zina (June 2019)²

A critical illness plan can often bridge the gap for what your health insurance can’t cover – including lost income, personal expenses, and more. It’s unlikely that you would be able to continue working for a period of time after getting inflicted by a serious illness (e.g. stroke) or during intensive cancer treatments, so a critical illness policy will cushion your loss of income and incurred personal expenses with a lump sum. This will also protect your family, as it can be used to cover important monthly bills that they may depend on for housing and food.

Chronic Illnesses or Conditions Will Drain Your Savings Account Over Time (LIA Singapore (October 2018)³

A 2017 Protection Gap Report found that Singaporeans require an average of 3.1 times their annual income in order to adequately meet their critical illness needs – paying that out of pocket will drain your savings over time (LIA Singapore 2018³). The pay-out of critical illness policy will come in handy for extra help, covering the medical bills as well as the potential loss of income during recovery. Most importantly, it gives yourself and your family the peace of mind necessary to focus on optimizing your recovery in these situations.

The type and amount of critical illness coverage you may need will vary from person to person, so be sure to research and understand the options available before making a decision. We recommend that you seek advice from a Financial Consultant before making a commitment to purchase a policy.

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