Beyond the bare minimums, not all maid insurance firms provide the same advantages and price differently. Medical and administrative expenses are usually covered by most insurers. The following are some of the advantages of a standard maid insurance policy:
We’ve broken down each of the benefits and insurance coverage to assist you comprehend the policies.
Medical Expenses for maid hospitalisation and surgery
In the event of an injury or illness, maid insurance policies must cover hospitalization costs and surgical expenditures, including day surgery prices. Pre-hospitalization medical consultation and diagnostic services, as well as post-hospitalization follow-up treatments, may be covered under certain policies.
Unfortunately, your domestic helper’s medical insurance policy may not cover all types of diseases or injuries, and certain medical conditions and pre-existing illnesses or injuries may be excluded. As a result, it’s a good idea to inquire about your domestic helper’s medical history before hiring her. Maids may be required by employment agencies to disclose any pre-existing medical issues so that their employers are aware of them.
Employers are not authorized to let their FDWs pay for their own medical fees or shoulder the majority of the expenses to maintain their FDWs, other from the requirements listed above. MOM advises businesses to get plans with higher coverage levels to protect themselves from costly medical expenditures.
Personal Accident cover when a maid is injured
According to the Ministry of Manpower, PAI coverage of at least $60,000 per year is required. This payment will be provided if the helper is permanently disabled or dies as a result of the accident. Dental therapy or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies for an accident damage may be covered by some insurance policies.
Alternative Domestic Help Benefit to hire substitute helper
Some insurance will pay you a daily allowance to hire a substitute or alternative aid if your helper is hospitalized due to an injury or illness. The duration and quantity of the daily allotment vary by policy.
Wage Compensation and Relief
Some insurance can reimburse you for your maid’s pay if she is unable to work and is hospitalized due to an injury or illness. Because getting sick is the last thing your foreign domestic assistant wants, the coverage will cover a portion of her wages while she recovers.
Repatriation Expenses to assist maid as she goes back to her country
If you need to repatriate your maid because she can no longer work due to permanent infirmity, several maid insurance policies will provide a financial reimbursement. If she dies as a result of an injury or sickness, the cost of her burial or cremation in Singapore, as well as the transport of her body or ashes back to her native country, will be paid. Without this protection, the process can be quite costly, costing thousands of dollars.
Third-Party Liability in case maid unintentionally harm others
Bad days can strike anyone, including your domestic assistant, who may have inadvertently caused physical harm or property damage to others. Despite the fact that it was an accident, the employer is normally responsible for the damages. Some plans will cover your legal liabilities as a result of your assistant’s negligence while on the job. The quantity of coverage varies depending on the policy. For example, MSIG’s MaidPlus policy covers up to $20,000 in damages.
Maid’s Personal Belongings in case of loss or damage of their items
In today’s world, almost everyone, including our domestic assistants, have a smartphone. They can communicate with their family who reside thousands of miles away thanks to these mobile devices. Some maid insurance packages go a step further and cover your FDW’s personal possessions as well. These claims could be worth anything from $300 to $500 for the loss or damage of personal belongings due to covered incidents.
Replacement Maid if forced to replace helper due to unexpected reason
Due to unforeseen circumstances such as untimely death or significant incapacity, an employer may be forced to replace their domestic helper. Fortunately, some insurance policies will cover the cost of finding you a new helper through FDW services. It’s important to remember that the contract can only be dissolved for significant grounds.
Who should pay for maid medical?
Employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) benefit directly from their hiring, hence they must shoulder all costs associated with sustaining their MDWs. This includes any medical expenses incurred as a result of her illness. As a result, you are not permitted to demand your MDW pay for her medical bills.
Why maid insurance is 26 months?
Most insurance providers offer a 14- or 26-month plan with add-ons or multiple tiers with different price structures to pick from.
Why 14 and 26 months rather than 12 and 24? The additional two months of coverage (non-chargeable) is required by the MOM to cover your helper for two months after her work visa expires, in case her repatriation is delayed.
The majority of plans will also include a letter of assurance for the necessary S$5,000 security bond mandated by the MOM.
What is third party liability for maid insurance?
In Singapore, maid insurance is not an issue that is commonly discussed. This may come as a shock, given that there are over 250,000 maids, commonly known as foreign domestic workers (FDWs), in Singapore as of 2018.
Many FDWs perform a vital role in the family, helping to care for young children, elderly parents, and maintain household cleanliness on behalf of their employers, in order to support Singapore’s economic growth.
Medical insurance and personal accident insurance for maids are required by law for all employers. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has established the following minimal requirements:
- During your helper’s stay in Singapore, you should have medical insurance that covers at least $15,000 per year for inpatient hospitalization and day surgery.
- Personal accident insurance of at least $60,000 per year is required to cover sudden, unplanned, and unforeseeable events that result in permanent injury or death.
Due to MOM’s legal criteria, all maid insurance coverage sold in Singapore will cover the bare minimum.
In fact, many Singapore homes that employ a maid may be unaware that they can choose from a variety of maid insurance policies offered by several insurers, and instead rely on the arrangement provided to them by the maid agency out of convenience.
However, by selecting your own policy, you can ensure that the coverage you purchase for your maid is exactly what you need. At the same time, you can compare many quotes from different insurers and perhaps save money.
Comparing Different Maid Insurance Policies
We can presently compare a total of 13 different maid insurance plans across 6 different insurers at Insurance Market. Following are some noteworthy topics to consider while selecting the plan that best meets your needs, based on our evaluation of the various plans.
Personal Injury Coverage: While most policies will provide the required $60,000 in personal accident coverage, the compensation structure for various plans may vary.
Medical Insurance Coverage: While the minimum required for medical insurance coverage is $15,000, several plans will go above and above the minimum. For example, the EQ Maid Enhanced (with Security Bond) gives medical expenditure coverage of up to $30,000 per year for hospitalization and surgical charges.
Outpatient Expenses: Outpatient costs vary depending on the type of insurance policy. Some may be able to earn up to $3,000 per year, while others may only be able to earn $1,000 per year.
Third Party Liability: Third party liability protects the insured from having to pay compensation if the covered maid is engaged in an incident while on the job for which the employer can be held responsible.
Critical Illness Coverage: Some plans include a little amount of critical illness coverage.
Repatriation Expenses: Should the need occur, some plans may cover the expense of repatriation.
How Much Do Maid Insurance Premiums Cost?
Because the majority of maid work permit contracts are for 12 or 24 months, and the MOM requires all insurance and bonds to include an additional two months of coverage, maid insurance policies have a coverage length of 14 or 26 months.
According to current premiums provided by several insurers in Singapore in 2019, a 14-month insurance term policy would cost between $180 and $200, and a 26-month insurance term policy will cost between $246 and $374.
It’s natural to assume that the higher the cost of a maid insurance policy, the greater the coverage must be. Not all of the time.
Insurance Market evaluates the different essential components supplied in a maid insurance policy and assigns a score based on the coverage provided by each policy to assist you in determining which policy is worth paying for. This is how we assign a score to each and every insurance on the market.
Each plan’s value for money score is also compared by Insurance Market. That is what we refer to as the Money Score value. This score indicates which policy offers the most value for your money in terms of coverage.
Whether you’d like to explore which plans are ideal for you based on your budget, visit our maid insurance quick quote page to see if you’re getting the most bang for your dollars.
Do we need to pay for maid dental?
It is your responsibility as an employer to pay for your FDW’s medical care, regardless of the severity of her condition. However, because medical treatment is costly even with insurance, families may find it difficult to cover the costs of an additional person’s healthcare. Fortunately, there are a few options for lowering your domestic worker’s health-care costs.
Employers can start by looking for outpatient clinics that provide discounts to FDWs. If you don’t have time to compare different medical providers, HealthPal, which offers subsidised medical care at dozens of clinics for your FDW for as little as S$24 per year, is another option. This includes S$13 general practitioner appointments, S$80 specialist consultations, and S$70 dental polishing and scaling, saving employers 48 percent on medical costs for their FDWs. Employers in financial distress should consider scheduling appointments for their FDWs with HOME, a non-profit organization that provides free dental treatment. However, because the waitlist is usually a few months long, appointments at home are recommended for treatments that do not require immediate attention (for instance, non-emergency fillings).
Prioritizing prevention is another strategy to save money on your employee’s domestic expenses. Immunizations and other preventative interventions are often less expensive than treatment. To lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes, make sure your FDW eats nutritious meals and exercises often. These are two common critical illnesses in Singapore that are both costly and require long-term treatment.
Can I bring my maid to polyclinic?
Anyone can seek treatment at one of the 18 government polyclinics, however you will be charged more as a pass holder than a citizen or PR. A consultation in a polyclinic costs $51.50, whereas a family physician clinic costs $67.8.
Is dental covered in maid insurance?
No, dental examinations and/or treatment, as well as the cost of procuring dentures, are not covered unless they are the consequence of an accident. Q1. Can I claim H&S Expenses for the expenses incurred if my maid is needed to attend a day surgery?
Can maid buy Shield plans?
Any insurer can sell you a plan as long as it meets the mandatory minimum coverage standards. However, you are strongly advised to purchase supplementary insurance coverage for greater safety and peace of mind against medical expenditures incurred by your MDW.
What is security bond for FDW?
A security bond is a legally binding promise to pay the government if you or your helper violates the law or the terms of your Work Permit. A banker’s or insurer’s guarantee is used to create the bond. Except for Malaysian helpers, you must purchase a $5,000 security bond for each helper you hire.
What is waiver of indemnity for maid insurance?
You’ll see an extra add-on named “waiver of counter indemnity” while purchasing maid insurance. Employers of foreign domestic workers must post a S$5,000 security bond with the Ministry of Manpower as a guarantee that they will not infringe any laws related to the FDW’s employment. The waiver of counter indemnity is a feature of maid insurance policies that allows the insurer to cover the loss of the deposit in the event of a contract breach ranging from S$5,000 to S$250 or even S$0. The possibility of not losing such a significant sum of money relieves tension for employers and decreases the need to oversee domestic workers in case they do something that will result in a bond breach. However, as the Ministry of Manpower’s laws change, bond breaches are becoming less common, raising the question of whether this add-on is genuinely worth the money.