Best women's health insurance plans in Singapore and what they offer
PHOTO: Pexels
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 07, 2021 7:28 AMBy Marissa Saini
More than just a buzzy health insurance plan, those catered for women offer female-specific coverage for conditions and procedures that women are more inclined to have.
According to the Singapore Cancer Society, over 1,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. If those figures aren’t sobering enough, it’s estimated that over 400 women would die from the disease.
As women, we’re more susceptible to not just breast cancer, but a whole host of diseases, critical illnesses (not to mention childbirth complications) and procedures that perhaps your other insurance plans may not cover.
Enter women or female-specific insurance plans — designed to (surprise, surprise) specifically address a woman’s health essentials.
If you have a family history of cancer, this might be a good plan to purchase for extra protection (you’ll even get free health screenings to boot). Don’t forget, early detection is key!
To get you properly acquainted with this realm of health insurance plans (in case you were wondering, men have those too), here are four female-specific health policies and what they offer.
Best women’s health insurance plans, at a glance
| Women’s insurance plans | AXA CritiCare For Her | NTUC Income Lady 360 | PRULady | AIA Glow of Life |
| Key features |
Coverage extends across 4 core benefits: female illness benefit, surgery benefit, reconstructive surgery or skin grafting benefit and support benefit Under female illness benefit, you can claim up to 150 per cent, for the rest you can claim up to 100 per cent of the sum assured Continue to be protected even after you’ve made claims through a coverage reset* |
Coverage for specific female illnesses, female surgeries, post-diagnosis support benefits and death Upon diagnosis of a specific female illness, enjoy a waiver of premiums for the next 24 months Choose a 10-year renewable policy term or a policy term of up till age 64 (last birthday) |
Coverage specific for women, such as female-specific medical conditions and procedures, reconstructive or skin grafting surgeries Coverage for post-diagnosis support Premium waiver for 36 months upon female illnesses claim |
Up to 100 per cent reimbursement for reconstructive surgery due to an accident or burn Additional coverage of 5 per cent each time policy is renewed, valid for the first 5 years Payouts for female-related conditions such as breast cancer, osteoporosis and arthritis |
| Add-on options |
Hospital care Congenital illnessesPregnancy complications |
|||
| Death benefit | $10,000 | $10,000 | – | – |
| Free health screening every two years | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Coverage for child |
Yes. Free child cover of $5,000 upon a critical illness diagnosis |
No. | No. | No. |
*Claim(s) of less than 100 per cent of the sum assured under female illness benefit, after a 12-month waiting period
1. AXA CritiCare For Her
Type: Critical illness plan
If you’re looking for a plan that provides coverage to both mother and child, this is the one for you. A women’s life insurance plan that delivers precisely what it promises, policy holders get to keep tabs on their health with free preventive screenings every two years.
The coverage ensures each critical illness stage is addressed and are categorised as four core benefits, namely:
- Female illness benefit reset
- Surgery benefit
- Reconstructive surgery or skin grafting benefit
- Support benefit
Once covered, you’ll be able to make multiple claims of up to 300 per cent of the sum assured from the plan’s core benefits, and an additional $25,000 cover under the Support benefit.
In all, you can claim up to 3.5 times the sum assured — that would put anyone’s mind at ease, as chances of forking out of pocket are slim.
On the premium waiver front, you won’t have to worry about paying for three years should there be claims made under the female illness benefit.
Granted, it’s capped at a max of two claims with a combined claim value of 50 per cent of the sum assured. Plus, parents would especially appreciate $5,000 for the child upon a critical illness diagnosis.
2. NTUC Income Lady 360
Type: Term life plan
In terms of scope of coverage, NTUC Income Lady 360 is as extensive as they come, covering specific female illnesses, female surgeries and post-diagnosis support benefits.
As compared to AXA’s CritiCare For Her, the premium waiver loses out slightly at just two years upon a female-related illness diagnosis.
There’s also the female surgeries benefit limit that adds up to only 95 per cent of the sum assured to consider.
On the plus side, the plan offers complimentary health screenings every two years and a sizable death benefit ($10,000) that would you at ease should, say, a breast cancer diagnosis proves to be fatal (knock on wood).
Having the option to claim multiple times (at 100 per cent of the sum assured!) and still enjoy continued coverage from the plan is also a nice touch.
3. Prudential’s PRULady
Type: Health insurance
Planning on freezing your eggs one day? If you are, you’ll be stoked to know that PRULady covers Oocyte Cryopreservation (A.K.A. egg freezing) at 100 per cent of the sum assured.
However, there’s plenty to appreciate even if that’s not on your to-do list. The plan pretty much does the job of covering the illnesses and conditions that plague us women — we’re talking even more niche procedures such as hormone replacement therapy and outpatient psychiatric.
The premium waivers are also as competitive as AXA’s, pegged at a three-year duration if you are found to have a female-related illness.
If you’re at a certain life stage where extra protection is necessary (like carrying a child), you can add on benefits to cover things like hospital care, congenital illnesses and/or pregnancy complications.
4. AIA Glow of Life
Type: Critical illness plan
For a critical illness plan, AIA Glow of Life adequately covers the absolutely necessary — 100 per cent coverage of female dreaded illnesses (think cancer, lupus, arthritis) and a range of female health procedures ranging from surgical repair of the urinary incontinence to reconstructive surgery reimbursement caused by burns or accidents (up to 100 per cent claimable!).
Plus, enjoy complimentary health screenings every two years, a recurring feature across all the women-centric plans on this list. As cancer is not to be taken lightly, you’re also entitled to seek a second opinion if need be.
Perhaps another standout feature is its renewal bonus of 5 per cent of the principal sum each time you renew the policy. However, this honeymoon period lasts only five years.
This article was first published in SingSaver.com.sg.