healthHealth screening in Singapore – how a lot does a complete well being screening price?

Nearly each Singaporean is aware of in regards to the significance of well being screenings. In any case, catching a severe ailment too late might imply loss of life or big medical payments. However how a lot do you actually find out about well being screenings and the way a lot they price in Singapore? Right here’s the low down.
Because it seems, the price of well being screenings in Singapore can range… fairly wildly, truly. Listed below are some well being screening costs compiled from a mixture of public hospitals, personal hospitals and personal clinics.
Healthcare supplier | Well being screening packages | Value |
Central Clinic | Fundamental Bundle to Complete | $48 – $338 |
Raffles Medical | Raffles Fundamental to Raffles Platinum | $74.90 – $10,000+ |
Ng Teng Fong Hospital | Important Bundle to Enhanced A | $88 – $185 |
Singapore Common Hospital | Fundamental to Enhanced Continual Illness Evaluation | $363.80 – $749 |
Mount Alvernia Hospital | Prime/ Premier/ Unique | $695.50 – $1,444.50 |
LifeScan Medical Centre | Wellness to Royal Elite | $218 – $8,453 |
Tan Tock Seng Hospital | Core Screening to Three Excessive Packages | $200 – $530 |
Nationwide College Hospital | Fundamental to Hepatitis B Screening | $260 – $530 |
Sata CommHealth | Lite to Platinum | $275 – $1,390 |
Thomson Wellth Clinic | Lite to Platinum Status Packages | $348 – $6,488 |
Farrer Park Hospital | HealthTrack Common to Premier | $350 – $1,780 |
Healthway Medical | Basic to Royal Packages | $350 – $4,500 |
Changi Common Hospital | Core, Core 50 Packages | $360 – $380 |
Parkway East Hospital | Display screen Basic to Display screen Status | $468 – $6,498 |
Fullerton Well being | Reside Fuller Premium to Reside Fuller Platinum | $500.76 – $1,806.16 |
As you possibly can see from this snapshot, a well being screening needn’t essentially be costly. However, cheaper well being screenings are likely to have a lot fewer lab assessments and thus won’t be as efficient at catching illnesses.
In the end, you need to take a look at what’s in every package deal and resolve if the worth is price it.
Do polyclinics supply well being screenings?
You’ll discover that polyclinics are conspicuously absent from the checklist of well being screening packages above. That’s as a result of polyclinics do NOT supply complete well being screenings — they solely present well being screenings for particular illnesses (e.g. diabetes, hypertension and excessive ldl cholesterol).
So you possibly can’t waltz into the closest polyclinic with no signs and ask for a full physique check-up. You may, nevertheless, request particular screenings for illnesses you is likely to be susceptible to, as a result of way of life or genetics.
If you happen to’re a Singaporean, you can even get tremendous low cost well being screenings at GP clinics beneath the Well being Promotion Board’s Display screen for Life programme. Relying on what card you maintain, you’ll pay not more than $5 for every screening:
Eligibility | Value of well being screening |
Eligible Singapore Residents / CHAS (Inexperienced) | $5 |
CHAS (Blue) / CHAS (Orange) | $2 |
Merdeka Era | $2 |
Pioneer Era | Free |
Once more, these are for particular illnesses solely, not a full-body check-up. Which subsidised well being screenings you possibly can go for rely in your age and intercourse:
Age group | Display screen for Life well being screenings |
25 years & up (feminine) | Cervical most cancers (Pap smear) |
40 years & up | Hypertension, weight problems, diabetes, excessive blood ldl cholesterol, cervical most cancers |
50 years & up | The entire above + breast most cancers, colorectal most cancers |
The charge contains vital screening assessments and one follow-up session. Singapore PRs aren’t eligible for these heavy subsidies, however they will get cheaper charges for sure screenings (e.g. $10 for blood ldl cholesterol check) at CHAS clinics.
How a lot do well being screenings price at public hospitals?
So how a lot does it truly price to get a complete well being screening that checks for every thing, not only one or two illnesses?
Most Singaporeans have loads of religion in public healthcare, so for essential procedures like a well being screening, many would favor to go to a public hospital.
Nonetheless, well being screenings aren’t subsidised as a result of you possibly can’t get a referral from a polyclinic or from A&E. So, they’re not essentially cheaper than a personal clinic. Moreover, the costs of well being screening packages (in addition to the element assessments in every well being screening!) range rather a lot from one public hospital to a different.
Observe: Singapore Common Hospital doesn’t have printed costs; name to investigate. KK Hospital doesn’t supply well being screening packages anymore.
How a lot do well being screenings price at personal hospitals?
Though personal hospitals are usually a lot pricier than public hospitals in Singapore, there’s a wide range in costs on the subject of well being screenings. Due to this fact, personal hospital screenings aren’t essentially costlier — it relies on what assessments you wish to embrace.
As a normal rule, personal hospital have a tendency to supply packages with extra exhaustive lists of assessments and screening procedures. That stated, fundamental well being screening packages do exist (and at pretty aggressive costs too).
How a lot do well being screenings price at personal clinics?
If you happen to thought there was loads of value variation among the many hospitals, wait until you see what it’s like with the clinics. As a result of intense competitors, it’s doable to seek out tremendous low cost well being screening packages (beneath $50!) at a clinic. On the identical time, costs can even go as much as $300.
Right here’s a small sampling of clinics in Singapore to point out you the variation in costs:
Which is the most cost effective well being screening in Singapore?
Our temporary survey of the well being screening choices in Singapore exhibits that there’s a large vary of costs AND big variations in what the packages entail.
As we’ve proven, personal does NOT essentially imply costlier than public on the subject of well being screening costs.
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The most affordable well being screening we discovered turned out to be the $48 Fundamental Bundle at Central Clinic.
However clinics are usually much less recognised than large model names like Raffles Medical and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, so ensure you’re comfy with that. However, you may get extra personalised service if it’s with, say, your loved ones physician.
Usually, the extra assessments a package deal has, the costlier it’s. Offered you’re nonetheless younger and wholesome, and never genetically predisposed to sure problems, you might wish to go for one of many tremendous fundamental well being screenings with out all of the bells and whistles.
Nonetheless, you’ll most likely wish to talk about the choices along with your common physician earlier than you decide to a screening, simply in case there’s one thing you didn’t assume to look out for.
Are you able to pay for well being screenings with Medisave?
As you possibly can see, going for a complete well being screening just isn’t low cost. Sadly, you possibly can’t offset normal well being screenings with Medisave.
Medisave can solely be used for a restricted vary of particular screenings, similar to mammograms (just for ladies aged 50 and up).
If you have already got a power illness like diabetes or hypertension, you may be capable of make claims for screening as a part of outpatient remedy.
Are you able to declare the charges out of your medical insurance?
Though Built-in Protect Plans are important for dealing with healthcare prices in Singapore, your common well being screenings are usually not lined.
Nonetheless, sure medical insurance plans do supply rewards for going for normal well being screenings.
For instance, in the event you’re an AIA policyholder enrolled within the AIA Vitality programme, you possibly can earn factors for going to eligible screenings. You may redeem your factors for reductions in your insurance coverage premiums.
What goes right into a fundamental well being screening package deal?
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Well being screenings can both be particular or normal. If you happen to suspect or are in danger for a particular ailment (say a hereditary illness), most clinics and hospitals have a full checklist of screening procedures for numerous illnesses which you’ll be able to decide and select from.
However in the event you’ve acquired nothing specifically in thoughts, you possibly can go for a normal well being screening, usually generally known as a complete well being screening. This includes a bodily check-up and several other medical assessments to display for widespread circumstances similar to diabetes, hypertension and excessive ldl cholesterol.
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Each fundamental well being screening package deal ought to entail these 4 parts, at minimal.
- Medical well being evaluation: A chat along with your physician to evaluate your medical historical past and way of life and determine any potential dangers you might need.
- Bodily examination: The physician ought to take your top and weight, measure your BMI and verify your imaginative and prescient.
- Blood glucose check: A blood pattern is taken after fasting, to check for diabetes.
- Ldl cholesterol (lipid) check: A check for prime ldl cholesterol and heart-related illnesses, taken after fasting.
Particular person hospitals could supply different medical assessments of their fundamental well being screening packages. So aside from checking the worth, you additionally have to know what precisely is within the package deal. Frequent add-ons embrace…
- Blood strain check: The physician takes your blood strain to verify for hypertension (hypertension).
- Urine evaluation: Your pee is examined as an indicator of your total well being and correct kidney perform.
- Full blood rely: A blood pattern is examined to find out when you have anaemia.
- ECG (electrocardiogram): Utilizing electrodes positioned in your pores and skin, this check information your coronary heart exercise and checks for coronary heart circumstances.
Some hospitals or clinics may also allow you to select some add-ons to your package deal at a charge, which you need to take into account if there are specific circumstances you might be anxious about or predisposed to.
How usually do you have to go for a well being screening?
Going for well being screenings is essential as you’ll wish to detect illnesses as quickly as doable — early detection usually makes remedy more practical.
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The need of a complete well being screening actually relies on your age, well being and household historical past. When unsure, ask your physician what he would advocate.
While you’re younger, you received’t have to endure it each single yr. In truth, sure sorts of screening like mammograms and x-rays can truly be dangerous and shouldn’t be overdone.
Nonetheless, after you attain a sure age — and this threshold varies from individual to individual — annual complete well being screenings are a good suggestion. Your physician ought to be capable of advise you on what to get screened for and at what age relying in your well being and household historical past.
Don’t be too postpone by the costs of screening packages. Not going for a screening and falling sick because of this might find yourself costing you much more in the long term, so whenever you attain a sure age you positively wish to take into account going for a complete well being screening extra frequently.
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This text was first printed in MoneySmart.