The Usual Place Podcast
New IP rider rules just kicked in. Are you actually better or worse off?
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Policyholders will now be required to fork out more in deductibles and co-payments.
Private health insurers on April 1 put out new Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders, which comply with requirements by the Ministry of Health (MOH) that were announced in November 2025. This move was aimed at curbing rising insurance premiums and private healthcare costs.
These new riders will cost less, but policyholders will have to fork out more in deductibles and co-payments. But can this have the desired effect of pushing down healthcare costs?
Mr Eddy Cheong, chief executive of insurance advisory firm Haven, and Mr Yip Hon Weng, Yio Chu Kang SMC MP and the deputy chairperson for the government parliamentary committee on health stop by The Usual Place to talk about what this means for patients, doctors, and insurance firms.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:18 Changes to IP riders and plans
8:01 What led to the ‘buffet syndrome’?
12:56 Doctors charging indiscriminately?
14:03 Paying more for your rider than the base plan
18:04 Delaying medical checks?
24:06 How medical inflation got to 16.9%?
26:00 Do you need to ‘insurance-max’?
30:36 Fewer insurers, fewer problems?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)
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Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh
Executive producers: Danson Cheong
Editorial producer: Elizabeth Law
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
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YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
