Aviva vs Prudential Health Insurance: Which One Is Better For You?

Integrated Shield Plans provide extra coverage on top of your Medishield Life plan. While most insurers have a standard set of benefits they offer, some insurers provide plans with unique coverage or competitive annual premiums. In this comparison, we look at two of the top health insurance plans: Aviva MyShield and Prudential PruShield

Aviva's MyShield and Prudential's PruShield Plus are two of the best integrated shield plans for a reason. Not only can they be competitively priced, but they also provide comprehensive benefits and above average annual limits. However, while both plans provide excellent value, there are some differences between the two that can impact which one may be a better fit for you.

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Aviva MyShield vs Prudential PruShield Plus Health Insurance: Overview

Based on the pricing and benefits, Prudential PruShield is better suited for the average, healthy consumer while Aviva's MyShield will be better for wealthy families. This is because while Prudential's coverage provides standard hospitalisation coverage for an attractive price, Aviva provides unique, family-friendly coverage like newborn benefits, preventative cancer treatment coverage and rider discounts for children.

In terms of available plans, Aviva provides 4 different tiers of coverage, ranging from the Standard Plan to a Private hospital plan. Prudential only has 3 options, the Standard Plan (B1 ward), an A-ward Plan and a private hospital plan, bypassing the full coverage B1 ward plan seen with Aviva. As is common with tiered plans, benefit limits and pricing increases the higher the tier. In most cases, Prudential will be the cheaper choice for cost-conscious younger consumers, as its plans consistently cost below average. On the other hand, Aviva is more expensive, with premiums costing between average to 35% above average.

Aviva MyShield vs Prudential PruShield Plus: Pricing

To start, Aviva's MyShield Standard plan (covering up to B1 wards up to certain limits) costs up to 35% above average for younger policyholders (25-year-olds) and declines to around the average for senior citizens. Its Plan 3 option that provides full coverage for B1 wards is similarly pricey, costing between 7-14% above the market average. Lastly, Aviva's Plan 2 and Plan 3 options, which provide up to A ward and Private Hospital coverage also cost between 10-35% above average for the age groups we measured. Comparing Aviva to Prudential, we find that premiums for the base plans cost between average to 123% above average. The greatest price difference occurs with their Ward A plans, where in most cases you'll pay between S$43-S$690 more per year for Aviva.

Premiums25-Year-Old Premiums45-Year-Old Premiums65-Year-Old Premiums
Prudential StandardS$48S$108S$250
Aviva StandardS$66S$119S$281
Prudential PlusS$56S$140S$415
Aviva Plan 3S$73S$180S$480
Aviva Plan 2S$99S$312S$773
Prudential PremierS$209S$654S$1,912
Aviva Plan 1S$232S$714S$1,957
Premiums don't include Medishield Life Premiums or Medisave contributions.

On the other hand, Prudential generally costs below average for most people, with the exception of seniors (75-year-olds, for instance) looking for Standard plans. While the Standard plan costs around average, the Plus and Premier cost between 26-83% below the market average. For consumers looking strictly at saving money, Prudential may be the more optimal choice.

Aviva MyShield vs Prudential PruShield Plus Health Insurance: Benefits

In this section, we compare Aviva and Prudential's benefits for all plans except the Standard plans, as these plans have the same coverage.

Aviva's higher premiums come with a wider array of benefits, making Aviva a better choice for multigenerational families who need extensive coverage. In addition to the full coverage for daily room & board, daily ICU and surgical procedures, there's also full coverage for preventative treatment for cancer (if you've already been treated for it under Aviva's policy) and inpatient psychiatric treatment. Aviva also offers rare benefits like an extra S$50,000 inpatient benefit for 5 critical illnesses and a final expense benefit. However, while some of these features are unique, the annual limit (the maximum amount you can claim per year) is right at the market average for each plan. What's worth pointing out is that Aviva increases benefits for people who use their panel of medical specialists. For instance, Plan 1's annual limit increases to S$2,000,000 if you use their medical panel, and the number of days for pre-and post-hospitalisation increases from 90 and 180 days, respectively to 180 and 365. Thus, if you're looking to maximise value, you would need to limit your medical options to Aviva's medical panel.

BenefitsStandardPlan 3Plan 2Plan 1
Annual LimitS$150,000S$300,000S$600,000S$1,000,000
Pre-Hospitalisation Benefits (Days)N/A909090
Post-Hospitalisation Benefits (Days)N/A9090180
Daily Room & BoardS$1,700As ChargedAs ChargedAs Charged
SurgeryS$590-S$16,720As ChargedAs ChargedAs Charged
Inpatient PsychiatricS$17,500As ChargedAs ChargedAs Charged
Pregnancy Complications BenefitN/AAs ChargedAs ChargedAs Charged
Accidental Dental BenefitsAs Per SurgicalAs ChargedAs ChargedAs Charged
Deductible B1 WardS$2,000S$2,500S$2,500S$2,500
Deductible A WardS$2,500S$3,500S$3,500S$3,500
Deductible Private HospitalS$2,500S$3,500S$3,500S$3,500
Planned Overseas Treatment
Available

Prudential also provides full coverage daily ward, hospitalisation and surgery. Its annual limits are also on par for the market average, with the exception of the Premier plan which has an annual limit of S$1,200,000 compared to the market average of S$1,000,000. However, it doesn't offer nearly as much coverage for inpatient psychiatric treatment and the final expense benefit is capped at S$5,000 for the Premier plan. Prudential's PruShield also doesn't offer any of the unique features offered by Aviva like the extra critical illness coverage and the cancer prevention coverage. However, Prudential's pre-and post-hospitalisation coverage is by default, 180 and 365 days, respectively, so it's a better option for people who don't want to limit themselves to a particular set of doctors. When comparing the benefits between the two insurers, families who would like extra coverage for particular illnesses and concerns will benefit from Aviva. Otherwise, healthy, younger individuals who need no-frills but comprehensive coverage should consider Prudential.

Premiums & CoveragePruShield StandardPruShield PlusPruShield Premier
Annual LimitS$150,000S$600,000S$1,200,000
Daily Room & BoardS$1,700As ChargedAs Charged
SurgeryS$590-S$16,720As ChargedAs Charged
Inpatient PsychiatricS$17,500S$3,500S$4,000
Pre-Hospitalisation Benefits (Days)N/A180180
Post-Hospitalisation Benefits (Days)N/A365365
Pregnancy Complications BenefitN/AAs ChargedAs Charged
Accidental Dental BenefitsAs Per SurgicalAs ChargedAs Charged
Deductible B1 WardS$2,500S$2,500S$2,500
Deductible A WardS$3,500S$3,500S$3,500
Deductible Private HospitalS$3,500S$3,500S$3,500
Planned Overseas Treatment
Available

Riders & Add-ons

Both insurers offer a variety of riders. Aviva offers two types of riders, MyHealthPlus Option A II or CII. Option A II costs 50-80% below the average cost of a rider and provides ambulance service coverage, critical illness benefits, accommodation cost coverage for parents and post-hospital TCM treatment coverage. Option A Plan 1 & 2 is also free for children under 19 if both parents are insured under MyShield 1 or 2 or MyHealth 1 or 2. Option C II on the other hand, provides everything that Option A II does, plus a preferred rate for children under 19 (for Plan 1 and 2) and it covers 95% of the deductible. The price of the riders really depends on the rider and base plan package you create. For instance, if you have MyShield Plan 2 and get Option A Plan 2, then the total package can cost 34% below average for a rider and base plan package. On the other hand, if you add Option C II Plan 2 to your MyShield Plan 2, then your total cost can increase to up to 25% above average. When comparing Aviva to Prudential, Aviva's riders are cheaper, however, it's worth pointing out that the benefits are different so comparison isn't exactly 1:1.

Prudential has 4 riders, 3 for the Premier plan (PruExtra Premier, PruExtra Preferred, PruExtra Premier Lite) and 1 for the Plus plan (PruExtra Plus CoPay). PruExtra Premier and PruExtra Preferred follow a claims-based pricing approach, which means your premiums will be determined by the previous claims you made. The higher the claim at a private hospital, the higher your premium will increase upon renewal. The Premier and the Plus Copay plans are priced low enough to bring the total base + rider cost to -8% to -27% below average. However, the Premier Lite plan actually costs 58% above average when combined with the base plan, so it may not be the best value. The riders all feature similar benefits, like alternative (TCM) treatment, emergency outpatient, ambulance or taxi and parental accommodation coverage. All plans cover 50% of your copay and all plans besides PRUExtra Premier Lite CoPay covers 95% of your deductible. Premier Lite covers only 50% of your deductible, subject to a maximum of S$1,750 per year.

Aviva vs Prudential: Eligibility

You qualify for Aviva MyShield if you are a Singapore citizen or permanent resident (PR), have a Medisave account. Your dependents are eligible for Plans 1 or 2 as long as they are citizens, permanent residents or foreigners who hold eligible passes. On the other hand, you can qualify for Prudential PruShield if you are a Singaporean citizen or PR, a dependent of a Singaporean citizen or PR or a foreign worker with an eligible work pass. Please note that non-Singaporeans will have to pay higher premiums. In both cases, you will have up until you are 75 years of age to apply for a plan.

How to Choose

Choosing between Aviva and Prudential depends on your budget and healthcare needs. Upon review, we found that Aviva's unique benefits can be beneficial for families looking to ensure multiple generations. There are relevant benefits for newborns all the way up to the elderly. On the other hand, Prudential is better for the average single consumer. This is because Prudential is generally cheaper than Aviva, provides a more standard level of benefits and rewards people for staying healthy (most ideal for people without pre-existing conditions). Regardless, both plans are two of the best options on the market.

Anastassia Evlanova

Anastassia is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion Singapore, evaluating insurance products for consumers based on quantitative and qualitative financial analysis. She holds degrees in Economics and International Business Management and her prior working experience includes work in the capital markets sector. Her analyses surrounding insurance, healthcare, international affairs and personal finance has been featured on AsiaOne, Business Insider, DW, Vice, Her World, Asia Insurance Review, the Australian Institute of International Affairs and more.

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