TL;DR
- Today, 22 insurers price our doctor example on the doctor price page. Premiums run from about S$51 to about S$1,201. That is an example, not your quote.
- Doctors are usually occupation class 2. Your class is one of the main things that sets the price.
- Personal accident (PA) insurance pays a lump sum for accidental death or permanent disability. It also pays medical bills and hospital cash after an accident.
- It does not pay for illness unless the plan names it. That is a job for a health plan.
- Tell the insurer what you actually do, and tell them again if it changes.
How much does personal accident insurance cost for a doctor?
Short answer: for our example today, it ranges from S$51.27 to S$1,201.18 across 22 insurers. The example is one adult aged 18 to 59, working as a doctor, with a S$50,000 sum insured. That is a big gap for the same profile.
The reason is that the plans on that list are not identical. Medical bill limits, hospital cash and extras differ from plan to plan. So the lowest premium and the highest premium are not buying the same thing. The list on the price page is ranked by premium only, so you still need to open each plan and see what sits behind the number.
What your own price depends on: your age, the sum insured you pick, and how the insurer classes your work. Most insurers cover adults up to age 65, and some charge more from 60. To see figures for you, run your details through the PA quote page.
Why does being a doctor change the price?
Short answer: insurers price PA by occupation class, and a doctor is usually class 2. Insurers sort jobs into four classes by accident risk. Office work is class 1. Heavy manual work is class 4, which most insurers do not cover online. In general, a higher class means the insurer expects more claims, so the premium tends to be higher.
What this depends on: the word "usually" matters. Each insurer keeps its own list, and the class on your application is the one that counts. If you want to see how a group of similar classes prices, there is a page for class 2 jobs. Other healthcare roles have their own pages too, such as nurse and dentist.
What does personal accident insurance actually pay for?
Short answer: a lump sum if an accident kills you or leaves you permanently disabled, plus help with costs along the way. Here is what PA cover generally includes:
- A lump sum for accidental death or permanent disability. This is the sum insured.
- Medical bills after an accident, including TCM and physiotherapy on many plans.
- A daily cash benefit while you are in hospital.
- Infectious diseases such as dengue and HFMD, on some plans only.
And here is what it generally leaves out:
- Illness that was not caused by an accident, unless the plan names it
- Self-inflicted injury
- Injury while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- War, terrorism and nuclear risks
What the lump sum depends on: how much cover you choose. Many people choose a few years of income. The right figure for you depends on who relies on that income and what other cover you already hold. Our example uses S$50,000, but you can pick a different amount when you quote.
Are medical bills and other benefits the same on every plan?
Short answer: no, and this is where plans differ most. Medical bills after an accident are paid up to a separate limit. That limit is smaller than the sum insured. Some plans include TCM and physiotherapy within it, and the way each plan handles them can differ.
The daily hospital cash also differs between plans, both in amount and in how long it is paid. Infectious disease cover, such as dengue or HFMD, sits on some plans and not others. We do not have one figure for these limits, because they change between plans. Compare them plan by plan on the doctor price page.
What this depends on: how you would actually use the cover. If you would go to a TCM clinic or a physiotherapist after a fall, check that those are named. If dengue cover matters to you, check whether the plan includes it at all.
Is this the same as my health insurance or Integrated Shield Plan?
Short answer: no. PA pays for accidents only. Hospital bills from illness need a health plan, such as an Integrated Shield Plan. The two do different jobs, and one does not replace the other.
What this depends on: what you already have. Before you compare, list your existing policies and what each one pays. Then you can see where PA would add something and where it would overlap.
What do I need to declare about my work?
Short answer: your real job as it is today, and any change later. Your occupation class sets the price. If your job changes and you do not tell the insurer, a claim may be cut. The insurer also confirms your age when you apply.
When you pick a plan here, you finish buying on the insurer's own site, with your answers already filled in. Read those answers again before you pay. Make sure the job listed matches what you do day to day.
What this depends on: whether your work fits neatly into the options on the form. If none of them seems right, ask the insurer which one to choose before you buy. That is easier than sorting it out at claim time. If you do need to claim later, the claims page explains what to expect.
Am I covered overseas or outside working hours?
Short answer: usually yes, on both. Most plans cover you worldwide, 24 hours a day. That covers an accident at work, at home in your HDB flat, or on the MRT. It also covers a fall while on holiday.
Some plans limit how long each trip abroad can be, for example 90 or 180 days per trip. PA is also not the same as travel insurance, which handles things like trip delays and lost bags.
What this depends on: how long you are away at a stretch. If you work or study overseas for months at a time, check the trip limit on the plan page.
What to do next
- Look at today's spread of premiums and plans on the doctor price page.
- Get your own figures on the PA quote page with your real age, job and sum insured.
- Before you buy, check the medical limit, TCM and physiotherapy, hospital cash, infectious disease cover and the overseas trip limit, and read how the claims process works.