Ganesh Subramaniam, 44, is a project manager who earns $7,200 a month and takes home $5,760 after his CPF contribution. He has only MediShield Life. In August his mother, 71, had a hip replacement in a Class B1 ward, and she paid $4,821 of the $25,713 bill after her Standard Integrated Shield plan paid the rest. The bill made him start comparing plans for himself.
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), MediShield Life is sized for subsidised Class B2 and C wards in public hospitals. An Integrated Shield plan (IP) adds a private insurance layer on top, so the policyholder can claim for a higher ward class or a private hospital. MOH lists 38 plans, including MediShield Life, of which 27 are open to new members.
According to MOH's lifetime premium charts as of 1 June 2026, a Standard plan costs $41,100 to $72,300 over a lifetime, excluding MediShield Life and riders. A private hospital plan costs $255,700 to $392,000. The sections below follow Ganesh through the ward classes, the bill he would pay in each, the premiums and the share MediSave covers.
How Are Integrated Shield Plans Grouped?
Each plan is bought for a ward class, and it pays in full only up to that class. The five groups are:
- MediShield Life and basic plans, for Class B2 and C wards in public hospitals
- Standard plans, for Class B1 wards in public hospitals, with benefits set by MOH and the same across insurers
- Class B1 plans, for Class B1 wards, with benefits set by each insurer
- Class A plans, for Class A wards in public hospitals
- Private hospital plans, for private hospitals and all public ward classes
The table counts the plans in MOH's comparison documents dated June 2026, read on 4 September 2026. It gives each group's deductible in the ward the plan is bought for, its co-insurance and the range of annual claim limits among plans open to new members.
| Ward Class | Plans Listed | Open To New Members | Deductible In Own Ward | Co-Insurance | Annual Limit, Open Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MediShield Life and basic | 3 | 1 | $2,000 (MediShield Life) | Tiered (MediShield Life) | $200,000 |
| Standard | 7 | 7 | $2,500 | 10% | $200,000 |
| Class B1 | 9 | 5 | $2,500 | 10% | $250,000 to $500,000 |
| Class A | 9 | 7 | $3,500 | 10% | $600,000 to $1,200,000 |
| Private hospital | 10 | 7 | $3,500 | 10% | $600,000 to $1,500,000 |
Source: MOH comparison of Integrated Shield plans, June 2026
One Class A plan states no annual limit in MOH's comparison and is left out of that range. The two basic plans other than MediShield Life are closed to new members. Ganesh narrows his choice to the four classes above MediShield Life, all of which have open plans.
What Would A Hip Replacement Cost Him In Each Ward?
MOH publishes median bills by procedure. The bill information for a primary total hip replacement (procedure code SB839H, checked 12 September 2026) gives the median 2023 bill after subsidy, before insurance and MediSave, in each ward class. His mother's bill matched the Class B1 median.
The policyholder pays the deductible, then 10% of the rest as co-insurance. The plan pays the remainder, up to its annual limit.
| Plan And Ward | Median Bill | Deductible | Co-Insurance (10%) | Policyholder Pays | Plan Pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard or Class B1 plan, Class B1 ward (his mother) | $25,713 | $2,500 | $2,321 | $4,821 | $20,892 |
| Class A plan, Class A ward | $29,317 | $3,500 | $2,582 | $6,082 | $23,235 |
| Private plan, private hospital | $47,875 | $3,500 | $4,438 | $7,938 | $39,937 |
Source: MOH TOSP SB839H bill information, 2023 bills; MOH comparison of Integrated Shield plans, June 2026
In a Class A ward, $25,817 of the $29,317 bill remains after the $3,500 deductible, and 10% of that is $2,582. Ganesh would pay $3,500 + $2,582 = $6,082. His share of the same operation runs from $4,821 in a Class B1 ward to $7,938 in a private hospital, a difference of $3,117.
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How Much Does Each Ward Class Cost Over A Lifetime?
MOH publishes a lifetime premium for each open plan, from the ward class charts dated 1 June 2026. The figures exclude the MediShield Life premium and rider premiums. The table shows the lowest and highest lifetime premium in each class.
| Ward Class | Plans Charted | Lowest Lifetime Premium | Highest Lifetime Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 7 | $41,100 | $72,300 |
| Class B1 | 5 | $64,300 | $85,900 |
| Class A | 7 | $115,900 | $140,200 |
| Private hospital | 7 | $255,700 | $392,000 |
Source: MOH lifetime premiums of Integrated Shield plans, as of 1 June 2026
The dearest Standard plan costs $72,300 and the cheapest $41,100, a gap of $31,200, although MOH sets the same benefits for every Standard plan. The gap among private hospital plans is $136,300. For Ganesh, the cheapest private hospital plan costs $214,600 more over a lifetime than the cheapest Standard plan. His own share of a hip replacement bill would also be $3,117 higher in a private hospital.
Read Also: CPF Accounts Explained: OA, SA, MediSave And RA In 2026
How Much Of The Premium Can His MediSave Pay?
According to MOH's page About Integrated Shield Plan (checked 30 September 2026), the MediShield Life part of an IP is fully payable by MediSave. The private insurance part is payable by MediSave only up to these Additional Withdrawal Limits:
| Age Next Birthday | MediSave Limit For The Private Layer |
|---|---|
| 40 and below | $300 a year |
| 41 to 70 (Ganesh) | $600 a year |
| 71 and above | $900 a year |
Source: MOH
Ganesh turns 45 on his next birthday, so MediSave pays up to $600 a year of the private layer. Any amount above that comes out of his $5,760 take-home pay. According to the CPF Board (checked 30 September 2026), rider premiums are paid fully in cash, while the deductible and co-insurance on a bill can be paid from MediSave within the withdrawal limits.
MediSave pays premiums and bills within MOH's limits, and so lowers the cash a household needs for healthcare. It never becomes spending money, and a MediSave balance cannot pay for anything outside healthcare at any age.
How Much Will He Pay At 75?
Premiums rise with age. According to MOH's MediShield Life premium table (checked 30 September 2026), MediShield Life costs $1,816 a year at ages 74 to 75, including 9% GST and before subsidies, for policies starting or renewing on or after 1 April 2025.
An IP premium at 75 is that MediShield Life premium plus the private layer, and each plan's own premium table states the private layer at that age. Ganesh plans to stop work at 60. From then, the cash part of every premium comes out of his savings for the rest of his life.
What Do These Figures Leave Out?
The lifetime premiums are MOH's own totals and assume the policyholder keeps the plan for life at current premium rates. Insurers revise premiums, so a later total can differ.
The hip replacement is one procedure and stands in for a typical stay. Bills for cancer treatment or long stays are larger, and the annual limit matters more for them. A Standard plan's $200,000 annual limit is the lowest of the four classes above MediShield Life.
Which Ward Class Did Ganesh Choose?
Ganesh chose the cheapest Standard plan, at $41,100 over a lifetime by MOH's chart. It covers the Class B1 ward his mother used, where a hip replacement at the median bill would cost him $4,821. The cheapest private hospital plan would have cost $255,700, and the $214,600 difference stays in his own savings for the years after he stops work at 60.
A Standard plan suits households content with a Class B1 ward and able to pay the deductible and co-insurance from MediSave or cash. Households that want a private hospital or a choice of specialist pay several times the lifetime premium, and the cash part above the MediSave limit is paid every year. The right ward class depends on each household's savings, health and the age at which it plans to stop working.