In Singapore, hiring a domestic helper is not cheap at all! It’s mandatory to buy a Maid Insurance if you hire a foreign domestic helper in Singapore for your household work. Maid insurance policy is something, which Singaporeans rarely talk about. In this article, you will know how to choose the best insurance as per your needs.
Why Do You Need Maid Insurance in Singapore?
In Singapore, employers are obliged to buy maid Insurance for hiring foreign helpers. It’s one of the main insurance policies of the lot, which covers mainly work-involving accidents and medical care expenses enjoyed by the helper.
As per the regulation of the Singaporean Government, the employer must purchase an insurance plan on behalf of your Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW). The main reason behind this is that Foreign Domestic Workers aren’t covered under the Workman Injury Compensation Act. Therefore, being an employer, you have to bear all the medical charges as well as the security, comfort, and welfare of your worker.
Why Don’t People Know Much About Maid Insurance?
Singaporeans don’t even know much about Maid Insurance, not even the insurance agents or financial advisors. According to the Ministry Of Manpower (MOM), about 1 in 5 Singaporeans hire maids to help in their household chores.
What Kind Of Maid Insurance Coverage do You Expect In Singapore?
It’s necessary to know that most maid insurance policies in Singapore have those required by law. But, at the same time, it can offer a tailored selection of benefits as per their need.
Before your foreign domestic worker reaches Singapore, you have to ensure by law that she is under personal accident insurance and medical insurance coverage. Not every insurance agency offers similar benefits and the basic requirements and charges for them differently.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore usually benefits from yearly insurance coverage mandatory for every foreign domestic helper. In the typical maid insurance policy, you can get the following things:
- Personal Accident Insurance Coverage.
- Medical And Dental Coverage, Which Includes Inpatient Care And Day Surgical Expenses.
- A Security Bond For Your Foreign Domestic Worker
- Repatriation Cost
- Personal Liability Protection
- Outpatient Treatment
- Alternative Help
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Maid’s Items
- Replacement
- Wage Compensation
- Theft
- Third Party Liability
Here, the security bond is applied to protect the family of your foreign domestic helper with a lump sum of money if she suffers from any permanent invalidity or death caused by accident during her work tenure. You must pay this to your helper or her donee.
Please note that most insurers have been included in Covid-19 coverage at zero additional cost in recent times. Please have a look to get this benefit as it spreads out throughout the various providers.
Usual Policy structure of Maid Insurance In Singapore
Usually, most insurance companies in Singapore provide two options between 14 and 26-month plans and the ability to buy different tiers of varied price forms to select from. The various maid insurance plans generally offer a guarantee letter of a $5,000 security bond, as mandated by the MOM.
What Are Excluded From Maid Insurance In Singapore?
Your foreign domestic helper’s medical insurance policy won’t include certain previous injuries or illnesses. Therefore, it will be best to have a thorough inquiry of your foreign domestic helper’s medical history before going to hire. Employment agencies have made it required for the helpers to confess their pre-existing medical conditions before their employers.
Here is a list of stuff that is excluded from the domestic helper’s medical insurance:
- Any addiction related to drug or alcohol
- Previous medical conditions
- Birth control
- Nursing care
- Sex Transmission Disease treatment
- Psychiatric sickness
- Cosmetic surgery
- Venereal diseases
- Routine dental checkups like tooth cleaning or extractions
- Suicide-related expenditure
Is It Worthy To Be Under Maid Insurance Coverage?
MOM inspires employers to buy higher coverage policies to secure themselves from exaggerated medical expenses. Be assured of the pricing of most maid insurance policies, as they are quite economical. So, it’s worthy of being covered under one which best serves your needs. Additionally, if you purchase the policy with definite credit cards, you can get them at special rates.
Does Every Maid In Singapore Need Insurance Coverage?
The answer is short and simple: Yes!
Medical insurance for your domestic helper is something, which has to be mandated under the Ministry Of Manpower (MOM). Being an inhabitant of Singapore, if you employ a foreign domestic helper, then it’s your responsibility to cover her under a specially designed insurance policy. Whether you are aware of the policy or have bought the right one is a different issue.
Considerations before buying a maid insurance policy in Singapore
The following considerations would help you to choose the best from the rest.
- Be aware of whether the definite plan covers your maid’s previous medical conditions or not. It will play a crucial role before buying a policy.
- Check whether your chosen policy covers malaria and dengue fever or not, as many insurance agencies do not cover these treatments.
- Be well informed about the outpatient benefit of your chosen maid insurance policy. This will cover medical treatment expenses for your maid caused by accidents during her employment tenure. So, consider an insurance plan with higher coverage.
- Make sure your insurer offers the latest COVID-19 coverage or not. As mentioned earlier, most of the insurers have started to include COVID-19 coverage. Please check this information while comparing it with the other policies out there.
How to Get The Best Maid Policy In Singapore
You can get the best maid insurance policy according to your needs by knowing what you are going to get from it. Get in touch with the employment agencies to get an insurance plan before hiring your foreign domestic worker. You can choose the right kind of policy in several ways. If you want to save money, then choose from the available budget options. If you want protection against definite expenses, then focus on special coverage plans.
