Forum: Increase co-payment only for policyholders who opt for private healthcare
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The need to rein in healthcare costs is real ( MOH moves to curb rising premiums; IP riders sold from April 2026 won’t cover minimum deductibles,
However, the broad-stroke approach of increasing the co-payment from $3,000 to $6,000 for all new Integrated Shield Plan riders sold from April 2026 needs refinement.
The proposed increase in co-payment will impact all new policyholders, common people and the rich.
Only the common people will feel the pinch – and this could be a double whammy, waiting longer for public healthcare treatment and having a higher co-payment – while the rich continue enjoying minimal waiting time for treatment albeit at a higher cost, which could be a drop in the ocean to them.
Perhaps a refined approach is to increase the co-payment for those policyholders who opt for private hospitals or private specialist treatment and care.
Taking such an approach offers the common people options – choice of private hospitals/specialist treatment/care (higher co-payment but minimal waiting time for treatment), or the restructured or subsidised route (lower co-payment but longer waiting time for treatment).
Andrew Tan
