Imagine having severe knee pain and having difficulty walking to the bus stop or your car. The pain you feel is excruciating and it's affecting your normal lifestyle.

Taking the private healthcare route could mean selecting a doctor from a panel of senior multidisciplinary specialists, securing an appointment, going for your consultation and then undergoing surgery - all within 48 hours.

Afterwards you will recuperate in comfort in your selected accommodation (choose from a range of single rooms to four-bedders). What's more, the dedicated attention you receive from your doctor from the beginning to the end of the treatment will help speed up your recovery, and give you added peace of mind.

Are private hospitals really expensive and out of reach?

For most, medical expenses can take a toll of finances and many perceive private hospitals to be expensive and out of reach.

But few realise, though, that that is not necessarily true. In fact, they may actually be more affordable. For instance, the cost of receiving the above treatment at a private hospital could cost just $2,097 and this could be further offset by Medisave.

Sounds too good to be true? Not quite.

With the right Private Integrated Shield Plan with Rider, medical expenses need not be exorbitant. Patients who are insured under such plans can receive treatment at private hospitals with minimum cash outlay.

For example, most co-payment rider plans involve a five per cent outlay, capped at $3,000 for a year if a patient obtains pre-authorisation with his or her insurer prior to the surgery with a doctor on the insurance panel. So for a $100,000 surgery, the patient would only need to pay $3,000 out of pocket.

Doing your numbers

It pays to find out about your health and hospitalisation coverage - before you even need it.

Surveys by the Ministry of Health have shown that over six in 10 Singaporeans have an integrated shield plan. But instead of addressing their health issues early, this group may continue to live in pain or wait things out for diagnosis and treatment.

As a result, health conditions may deteriorate further, along with quality of life. And for seniors, even the simple task of walking to the bus stop or carrying one's baby grandchild would be impossible.

Receiving medical treatment in a timely manner, and recovering in a comfortable environment is every Singaporean's right.

This is why IHH Healthcare Singapore, the private hospital group with Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth, Mount Elizabeth Novena and Parkway East Hospitals, has launched two new tools to help patients calculate their out-of-pocket expenses before seeking treatment at a private hospital.

Empower yourself with these new tools

The new Hospital Bill Estimator may be used for common procedures such as the removal of breast lumps, thyroids or heart angiography.

Through its user-friendly interface, it gives you an estimate of how much you have to pay out-of-pocket for your treatment based on your Private Integrated Shield Plan, with or without a rider.

The group has also launched the new Parkway Insurance Concierge hotline (+65 9834 0999), which can help address queries related to the coverage of your shield plans and panel doctors. Hotline staff are on hand to help you make an appointment with the specialist of your choice.

Why wait? Click here to find out how you can address your health issues today.