Does Singapore have Universal Healthcare?

Singaporean citizens and permanent residents have access to universal healthcare which means that their healthcare system is funded by a mandatory health insurance and government. With a healthcare system that rubs shoulders with only the best of the world, citizens have access to government hospitals at a highly subsidized cost or even for free at times.

This is possible because most employees and employers contribute at least 37 percent of their earnings in a mandatory savings account which could be spent on insurance, education, housing and healthcare. Singapore’s public health insurance system is basically sustained by structures known as Medishield, Medisave and Medifund.

With Medishield, citizens are able to access a scheme that can pay huge medical bills and expensive outpatient treatments such as kidney dialysis. People who would like to increase their plans can do so by purchasing Private Integrated Shield Plans.

The Medisave on the other hand is a compulsory savings plan that takes up at least 7 to 9.5 percent of an employee’s wages. Citizens can cover the costs of routine healthcares with their Medisave accounts.

People without permanent residency however are not eligible for government assistance towards healthcare including the MediShield Life coverage. Expats therefore opt for private health insurance plans in case they have need for more expensive healthcare.