Introduction
Four months after the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) announcement of changes to Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders, all seven IP insurers have now rolled out their new riders from 1 April 2026. We had previously written a client note in November 2025, which you can refer to here, understand the rationale and impact on the design of the new IP riders.
In this round of changes, we notice that it is not just about the new IP riders, as many insurers are taking the chance to revise their entire suite of IP plans including making changes on their IP base plans, old riders and its pricing.
The purpose of this client note is to inform our policyholders and provide timely guidance on these changes and what they mean for you. We will focus on the four IP insurers with whom we have a partnership.
What Are the Changes to My Policies?
1. Key Changes to IP Plans and Old Riders
If you are a policyholder of an existing IP and rider, do take note of the following changes to your policies:
2. Key Changes to IP Plans and Old Riders
New riders are to follow MOH’s new requirements:
a) New riders sold from 1 April 2026 will no longer cover the minimum deductible that policyholders have to pay for a hospitalisation bill before insurance kicks in. This ranges from $1,500 to $3,500 per policy year and varies by ward class.
b) The co-payment cap, which excludes the minimum deductible, will be doubled from the current $3,000 to $6,000.
c) Premiums for the new riders are expected to be about 30% lower than those of existing riders with higher coverage.
d) Existing rider versions will no longer be sold from 1 April 2026 onwards.
Apart from rolling out new riders to comply with MOH’s requirements, insurers have also revised existing benefits or introduced new benefits for the new riders.
3. Premium Revision on IP Base Plans and Old Riders
As of 1 April 2026, most insurers have revised their premium rates, mainly increases, for their IP base plans and old riders. The quantum of premium revision depends on age and the plan type. As each insurer has several series of base plans and old riders, the following table illustrates the more common ones.
While the new riders are expected to cost 30% less than the old riders, the base plans have gone up as well, resulting in a smaller overall saving. For those keeping the old rider, their overall premium including the base plan, would cost much more than before.
To have a better understanding of the overall cost of your IP and rider, both old and new, you can refer to the lifetime premium found in the Appendix. The lifetime premium refers to the total premium payable from age 1 to 100.
From these charts, you would notice that:
- The rider premium varies across all the insurers.
- New riders are significantly more affordable than the old riders.
- Some insurers offer more than one rider – giving the option for further savings if you downgrade to the lower tier rider.
Havend’s Advice on IP
Our guide to purchasing an IP has always been based on one’s healthcare expectations as well as balancing this against with premium affordability.
1. Consider Your Healthcare Expectation
Our guide to purchasing an IP has always been based on one’s healthcare expectations. If you are satisfied with staying in a subsidised public hospital (B2/C wards), there is no need to buy an IP as your MediShield Life would be sufficient.
However, if you want the option of higher ward type or even in private hospitals, then you will need to consider an IP.
Affordability of IP is also an important financial consideration, not just on the current premium level but also ongoing premiums. There are various tools and information to assist you on this:
- Lifetime premium table (see Appendix)
- Health Insurance Planner by CPF Board – to estimate your insurance premium and whether your CPF-Medisave is sufficient.
Another benefit of an IP plan is that it offers additional benefits in covering pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, hence lowering your out-of-pocket expenses.
2. Consider Your Need for a Rider
If you want to lower your out-of-pocket expenses during hospitalisation by having the deductible or co-payment minimised, then you should buy an IP rider.
Another benefit of buying an IP rider is that it offers additional cancer-drug benefits, including treatments outside the cancer drug list. Without a rider, you may have to pay more for cancer drugs and have no access to drugs outside of the cancer drug list.
The old rider also caps a person’s co-payment to just $3,000. However, this kind of rider is becoming expensive as premiums have been escalating over the years. If you want a more affordable option, you can opt to switch to the new rider.
Under the new rider, the deductible will have to be paid by the policyholder. Also, the co-payment cap is now higher at $6,000. This means that the new rider will not cover smaller bill sizes. However, you may save an average of 30% in terms of premiums paid.
For some IP insurers, there may be more than one new rider available, hence a lower tier rider might be more cost-efficient for your needs.
Other considerations that may affect the justification for a rider
- Age – for those who are young and working, it might not be expensive to have the rider option. However, as premium increases with age, you should review your affordability as you are nearing or in the retirement phase.
- State of health – if you are likely to seek medical treatment in the near future, it might make more financial sense to retain the old rider.
What’s Next for Me?
If you have an existing rider and:
A. Bought it before 27 November 2025:
- You can remain on your existing rider. Depending on the insurer, there may be premium revision for your existing riders.
- You can choose to switch to the new riders if changes in coverage and premiums are aligned with your healthcare expectations and financial situation.
- Note that the underwriting process differs between insurers.
B. Bought it between 27 November 2025 and 31 March 2026 (both dates inclusive):
- You will remain covered under your existing rider policy terms.
- You will only be required to transition to policy terms that comply with MOH’s requirements on your next policy renewal from 1 April 2028 onwards.
C. Wish to Downgrade Your IP Base Plan
e.g. from Private to Restructured Hospital coverage
- For all insurers, downgrading your IP Base plan will automatically transition your existing rider to the new rider structure (i.e. you would need to give up your old rider).
D. Wish to Upgrade/Downgrade Your Rider
- You will only have the option of upgrading/downgrading your existing rider to the new rider structure.
- Underwriting process differs between insurers.
Conclusion
We hope this gives you better clarity on your IP and the options available for your riders. Your IP insurers would be communicating these changes to you more specifically on your policies and any changes to policy benefits as well as premium rates. If you need any clarification on your IP please feel free to contact your Insurance Specialist at Havend and we will gladly assist.
Appendix
1. Lifetime Premium for Private hospitals IP and Rider
2. Lifetime Premium for Public Hospitals, A ward IP and Rider
2. Lifetime Premium for Public Hospitals, A ward IP and Rider
This is an original article written by Eddy Cheong, CEO of Havend.