This guide covers the insurance side of caring for older parents in Singapore. It looks at three areas: hiring a helper to care for a parent, accident cover for an older person, and travelling together. It is general information. It does not say what any household needs.
Taking stock before making changes
Caring for a parent often changes how a household runs. A parent may move into the family HDB flat. A helper may join the home. Family trips may now include a grandparent. Each change can touch a different type of insurance. A short review at the start helps keep the picture clear.
Things to consider:
- Who lives in the home now, and who will be cared for.
- Whether a helper will be hired, and when they will start.
- How active the parent is, at home and outside.
- Whether trips abroad with the parent are likely in the coming year.
- Which existing policies the household already holds, and who each one covers.
Hiring a helper to care for a parent
Many families hire a domestic helper to support a parent at home. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires employers to buy maid insurance for the helper. This insurance covers the helper. It does not cover the parent being cared for.
Maid insurance typically includes hospital and surgical bills at or above the MOM minimum. It includes personal accident cover of S$60,000, as MOM requires. It also covers the S$5,000 security bond on the insurer's behalf. Repatriation is covered if the helper passes away or must return home.
Some things are not covered. These include conditions found at the helper's pre-employment medical exam. Pregnancy and childbirth are excluded. So are cosmetic and routine dental treatment, and self-inflicted injury.
What to check:
- The start date of the policy, so it is in place before the helper begins work.
- The hospital and surgical limit, and how it compares with the MOM minimum.
- How the security bond is handled under the plan.
- What the pre-employment medical exam found, as those conditions are excluded.
- The length of cover, which differs between plans.
Plans can be compared on the maid insurance page.
Accident cover for an older parent
Accidents can happen at home, at a hawker centre or on the way to the MRT. Personal accident insurance pays out after an accident. It does not pay for illness that was not caused by an accident, unless the plan names that illness.
This type of cover typically pays a lump sum for accidental death or permanent disability. It covers medical bills after an accident, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and physiotherapy. It also pays a daily cash benefit while in hospital. Some plans cover infectious diseases such as dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
Exclusions include self-inflicted injury and injury while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. War, terrorism and nuclear risks are also excluded.
What to check:
- Whether the plan accepts applicants of the parent's age. Age limits differ between plans.
- How the plan treats an injury where an illness may also be involved. This depends on the policy wording.
- Whether TCM and physiotherapy are covered, and up to what limit.
- How the daily hospital cash benefit is paid.
- How the plan classes someone who is retired. Plans are priced on what the insured person does.
Premiums and limits differ between plans. They can be compared on the personal accident insurance page.
Travelling together with an older parent
Family trips with an older parent need some extra planning. Travel insurance covers medical treatment and hospital stays overseas. It also covers emergency evacuation and repatriation. Trip cancellation and shortening are covered for covered reasons. So are lost or damaged baggage, travel delays and missed connections.
Medical conditions a traveller already had before buying are not covered, unless declared and accepted. This matters for many older travellers. Travel to places the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against is not covered. Losses while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are excluded. So are belongings left unattended in a public place.
What to check:
- Whether each traveller has any existing medical condition to declare.
- Whether the insurer has accepted the declared condition, in writing.
- The overseas medical and evacuation limits, which differ between plans.
- What counts as a covered reason for cancelling or cutting short a trip.
- Whether the plan sets an age limit for travellers.
- Whether a single-trip or annual plan fits how often the family travels.
Plans can be compared on the travel insurance page. Price pages for common routes, such as Malaysia and Japan, show how premiums differ.
After an incident: making a claim
A claim follows an incident, such as a helper's hospital stay, a parent's fall or a medical visit abroad. Each insurer sets its own claim steps and deadlines. Keeping records from the start makes the process easier.
Things to keep:
- Policy numbers and insurer contact details for each policy.
- Hospital bills, receipts and medical reports.
- A police report, where one is needed for loss or theft.
- Flight and booking records for travel claims.
- Notes of dates, times and what happened.
The Claims page explains the general steps.
Things to note
- Maid insurance covers the helper, not the parent. It does not pay for the parent's own medical bills or accidents.
- Personal accident insurance is not health insurance. Illness not caused by an accident is not covered unless the plan names it.
- Existing conditions matter for travel. A condition the traveller already had is not covered unless declared and accepted.
- Age limits differ between plans. Some plans may not accept older applicants. Check the plan terms before comparing on price.
- Ranking by premium is not ranking by fit. A lower premium may come with lower limits or more exclusions.
Where to get help
For questions about making a claim, see the Claims page. To reach us, see the About page. To compare plans side by side, visit the comparison page. Each plan's full terms are on the insurer's own site, and those terms decide what is covered.