Insurance

3 Reasons To Not Get Basic Critical Illness Insurance

With integrated shield plans offering health coverage, should you still purchase a basic critical illness insurance or could a cancer insurance suffice for coverage? Updated 6 December 2021.

  • Phuan Wei Ning
  • |
  • Published on 17 Mar 2020

New 37 standard critical illness (CI) as defined by Life Insurance Association (LIA)

With the new CI definitions effective no later than 26 August 2020, we highlight the critical illnesses affected by these changes. To find out more about the changes, you may wish to refer to our article "Should You Purchase Critical Illness Insurance Before 2020?"

37 Standard critical illnesses as defined by LIA
Major cancer
Open chest heart valve surgery
Fulminant hepatitis
Major head trauma
Heart attack of specified severity
Irreversible loss of speech
Motor neurone disease
Paralysis (irreversible loss of use of limbs)
Stroke with permanent neurological deficit
Major burns
Primary pulmonary hypertension
Terminal illness
Coronary artery by-pass surgery
Major organ or bone marrow transplantation
HIV due to blood transfusion and occupationally acquired HIV
Progressive scleroderma
End stage kidney failure
Multiple sclerosis
Benign brain tumour
Persistent vegetative state (apallic syndrome)
Irrevsible aplastic anaemia
Muscular dystrophy
Severe encephalitis
Systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis
End stage lung disease
Idiopathic parkinson's disease
Severe bacterial meningitis
Other serious coronary artery disease
End stage liver failure
Open chest surgery to aorta
Angioplasty and other invasive treatment for coronary artery
Poliomyelitis
Coma
Alzheimer's disease or severe dementia
Blindness (irreversible loss of sight)
Loss of independent existence
Deafness (irreversible loss of hearing)

#1 Integrated shield plans provides health coverage

Covering for inpatient, day surgeries, pre and post treatments and specified outpatient treatments, MediShield Life offers all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) health coverage for Class B2/C wards in public hospitals. To cover for treatments in private hospitals and/or Class A wards in public hospitals, an integrated shield plan and shield rider can be purchased.

If you are concerned about the medical expenses incurred from a critical illness, you may be relieved to know that integrated shield plans offers coverage should you require inpatient treatment. Additionally, most integrated shield plans would cover for specified outpatient treatments with the non-exhaustive list shown in the table below.

Non-exhaustive list of outpatient treatments covered by integrated shield plans:
Kidney dialysis
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Stereotactic radiotherapy
Immunosuppressants for organ transplant
Erythropoietin

Therefore while we acknowledge that critical illness and integrated shield plans are not to be used interchangeably, we feel that priority should be given to getting comprehensive coverage for your hospital plans. If you are still concerned about coverage for critical illnesses, you may then wish to consider early critical illness or cancer insurance.

(See "3 Things You Must Know About Integrated Shield Plans")


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#2 Basic critical illness insurance only covers for 37 advanced stage CIs

Medical advancements have resulted in critical illnesses being detected at an earlier stage. However, as basic critical illness plans only provides coverage for the 37 advanced stage CI as defined by LIA, an individual would not be able to make any claims in the event of early or intermediate stage critical illness diagnosis. Therefore if you are worried about being diagnosed with critical illnesses, a basic critical illness insurance would be insufficient coverage.

As explained in our article "Do You Really Need Early Critical Illness Insurance?", early critical illness (ECI) insurance offers a more comprehensive coverage for critical illnesses. With coverage for up to 119 medical conditions for early to advanced stage critical illnesses, ECI plans have no restrictions on how your pay-outs are to be used. As such, ECI plans are typically used for income replacement during your recovery period.

(See "Critical Illness Insurance In A Nutshell?")


#3 Cancer as the affordable option for coverage against the number 1 critical illness

The number one critical illness, approximately 35 people are diagnosed with cancer every day.1 If you wish to receive some coverage but do not have the budget for an early critical illness insurance, consider cancer insurance.

Early critical illness insurance
Cancer insurance
Coverage
$200,000
$200,000
Policy term
To age 85
To age 85
Annual premiums
$2,248
$248

*Note: Premiums are calculated before discounts and calculated for a 30 year old non-smoker male with changes subjected to the insurer's discretion. Policies may have a fixed death benefit with this benefit differing between policies.

With some cancer insurance offering full pay-out for all stages of cancer, this provides assurance knowing that you are covered from the start. Additionally, cancer insurance is also suitable for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions as cancer insurance does not require any underwriting. With just 1 medical question to be answered, this allows you to purchase cancer insurance as long as you have no history of cancer.


Exclusive promotion: Enjoy 35% off your FWD Cancer Insurance with promo code "IFAST".You may purchase FWD's Cancer Insurance here.

(See "Best Cancer Insurance Singapore")


In summary,

Basic critical illness (CI) insurance
Integrated shield plan
Early critical illness (ECI) insurance
Cancer insurance
Coverage
Typically covers for the 37 standard critical illnesses as defined by LIA
Inpatient, day surgeries, pre and post treatments and specified outpatient treatments
Up to 119 medical conditions including early and intermediate stages of critical illnesses
All stages of cancer
Underwriting required?
Yes
Yes
Yes
No, just answer 1 health question
Payment for claims
Lump sum pay-out
Reimbursement basis
Lump sum pay-out
Lump sum pay-out

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Information is accurate as of 23 March 2020 with changes subjected to the insurer's discretion.


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1Source: https://www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/learn-about-cancer/cancer-basics/common-types-of-cancer-in-singapore.html


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