Guide to Finding the Best Hospital in Singapore

With so many medical facilities in Singapore, it can be it difficult to know which hospital will be the right option for you. For instance, how do you know which hospital is the best for your medical condition? And how do you know if you will be able to afford the healthcare bill? Luckily, Singapore is known to have some of the most high quality and efficient healthcare facilities in the world, regardless of which hospital you choose to get treated in. However, despite the overall theme of quality healthcare, Singaporean hospitals do have their differences. To help you understand these differences, we wrote a guide on how to choose the right hospital for your needs.

Public Hospitals

Public Hospitals are hospitals that are owned by the government but are run as private companies. There are currently 16 public hospitals and specialty centres, of which 9 are acute public hospitals and 4 are community hospitals. Public hospitals usually provide government subsidies to Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents, with Singaporean Citizens paying the least, Permanent Residents paying a bit more and non-residents paying the most. Wait times for public hospitals range between one hour and four hours, and patients are admitted on a first come first serve basis unless it is an emergency.

Public hospitals have ward classes that range from shared ward C rooms to more private A wards. Ward C rooms have 8-9 beds and will be the cheapest, both in terms of insurance premiums and hospital bill (up to 80% subsidised), while ward A rooms will be the most expensive. Also, Ward C and B2 rooms are the only rooms that are subsidised and are only available to Singaporean Citizens or Permanent Residents. Typically, you will receive care from a team of medical professionals that is led by a specialist.

Private Hospitals

Private hospitals operate as private companies, are more expensive than public hospitals and do not provide subsidies for their patients. Beyond treating Singaporeans, they are also known for treating international and medical tourism patients.There are 8 acute private hospitals , all of which allow you to use your Medishield life/Private Hospital Integrated Shield Plan, Medisave contributions or your company's insurance to pay for your bill. Some private hospitals also accept international health insurance such as FWD, Cigna and Aetna.

While some private hospitals only have single rooms, others have similar room types as public hospitals. For instance, some private hospitals have 4-bedded and 2-bedded rooms, single rooms, deluxe rooms and suites. 4-bedded rooms are the cheapest and provide amenities such as a tv, free Wi-Fi, telephone and armchair. Suites are the most expensive—costing anywhere from S$800 to almost S$10,000 per day—but provide luxury perks such as personal medical personnel, flat screen tvs, complimentary parking, premium bath amenities and a home-like design.

Miscellaneous Specialty Hospitals

Singapore also has community hospitals and specialist centres. Community hospitals can be either public or private and offer post-acute hospitalisation services such as rehabilitation after a stroke, physiotherapy or speech therapy. These types of hospitals are especially beneficial to seniors due to their cost effectiveness and focus on after-surgery longer term care. For instance, while it costs between S$153 and S$661 to stay in a community hospital, you may actually pay even less when you utilise your Medifund, Medishield Life and Eldershield benefits.

Specialist centres are centres focused on treatment of specific ailments like cancer or cardiovascular diseases. These centres can also be private or public. Some public specialist centres include the National Cancer Centre, National Skin Centre and National Heart Centre. Pricing is similar to their respective public or private acute hospital counterparts (i.e. cheapest for ward C admission and most expensive for ward A admission).

Choosing the Right Hospital

Finding the right hospital depends on several factors. The first is your budget. Public hospitals may be the better option if you care more about budget or you have a recurring condition that requires a lot of inpatient hospital stays, as they are more economically feasible in the long run. The last thing you want is to go into debt because of an already stressful medical condition. Those not bound by budget have the option could benefit from short waiting times and individualised attention at private hospitals. Similarly, individuals who prefer the highest level of comfort and amenities may also benefit more from private hospitals. Regardless of what you choose, both public and private hospitals have top of the line medical equipment (although private hospitals will generally get the newest tech sooner) and qualified doctors.

You should also find out what kind of hospital best suits your medical condition. For instance, National University Hospital (NUH) may be a good idea if you have a rare condition or want to be treated by professors. On the other hand, women and children may find KK Women's and Children's Hospital to cater more to their needs. Those looking for hospitals known for geriatric medicine can consider Tan Tock Seng or Khoo Teck Puat. Finally, there are also a number of specialist hospitals such as the National Heart Centre, National Cancer Centre and National Dental Centre for those who need to address specific medical conditions.

Paying for Your Hospital Stay

Healthcare in Singapore can get quite expensive even when staying in a public hospital. The bill will depend on the ward you choose to stay in, the room rate and daily treatment fees, length of stay, tests and investigation costs, medication costs and surgery/implant fees. Singaporean Citizens and PR will most likely receive a subsidy for their hospital stay, utilise their medisave funds and get the rest covered by their Medishield Life or Integrated Shield Plan. Any costs that are out of pocket are usually payable online through your hospital's patient portal. Lastly, you can always borrow from your family member's Medisave account if you or a family member ran out of funds to pay for a recent hospital stay. At the worst case scenario when you have no choice but to go into debt for your hospital bill, applying for a personal loan through a bank is likely going to be your cheapest option.

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