Overview
- New riders sold from Apr 1, 2026 cannot cover minimum plan deductibles, the 5% co-payment rule stays, and the annual co-payment cap for new riders will be at least S$6,000 excluding deductibles.
- Insurers must launch compliant riders by Apr 1, 2026 and stop selling non-compliant products that day, with existing riders transitioning by the next renewal after Apr 1, 2028.
- MOH projects premiums for new riders to be about 30% lower than maximum-coverage products, saving buyers roughly S$600 a year for private hospital riders and S$200 for public hospital riders.
- MOH cites evidence of overconsumption, noting rider holders are 1.4 times likelier to claim with 1.4 times larger claims, median private hospital bills rose from S$9,100 (2019) to S$15,700 (2024), and rider premiums grew 17.2% annually.
- MediSave can be used to pay deductibles and co-payments, with about six in ten claimants facing no out-of-pocket costs and a minority—mostly private hospital patients—paying more than S$1,000.