In today’s fast-paced environment, where information is constantly overflowing, yet another update to hospitalisation insurance has been introduced. I’ll keep this article short and focused on what you need to know.
This is not the first time we’ve seen changes to hospitalisation insurance. The list below highlights the many revisions over the past few years—yet premiums have continued to rise.
As a result, private insurers have introduced new riders to meet MOH requirements from 1 April 2026, with the objective of offering lower premiums and more sustainable coverage.
Here’s a quick summary of what it means for you:
What’s changed?
- New riders have lower premiums (up to 84%)
- But require higher out-of-pocket costs:
- Deductible is no longer covered (the first dollar, up to $3,500, is not covered)
- A 5% co-payment (capped at $6,000) applies
- Existing top-tier riders typically only have a 5% co-payment (capped at $3,000)
Good to know
- You are not required to switch if you bought the plan before November 2025 — you can keep your current rider
- Premiums for new riders are significantly lower, especially if you are on a private hospital plan with the highest-tier rider
Should you downgrade?
It depends on your overall financial and insurance situation — not just premium savings.
You may also consider using any premium saved to:
- Invest to grow your wealth to fund future premiums
- Enhance your Critical Illness / Early CI coverage
At Holistic Wealth Planners, we have created an AI app that can calculate your premium savings per year and the total savings over your lifetime.
Sample are as follows:
You can drop us your contact here with your current shield plan and rider so that we can create the AI calculated premium report for you.
