Maid Insurance in Singapore — Protect Your Helpers Even More With These Add-Ons

This post was written in collaboration with FWD. While we are financially compensated by them, we nonetheless strive to maintain our editorial integrity and review products with the same objective lens. We are committed to providing the best recommendations and advice in order for you to make personal financial decisions with confidence. You can view our Editorial Guidelines here.

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They’re an integral part of our household, ready to help us with our chores, keep the kids entertained while we work from home, prepare meals if we need to work overtime, and here to assist us with our elderly parents.

According to the Ministry of Manpower, before your helper arrives in Singapore, you must buy medical insurance and personal accident insurance as part of your medical obligations to her. The cost of purchasing the insurance must not be passed to your helper.

We should also note that getting insurance for our helper also benefits us, as the employer. Should anything happen (touch wood!), be it an accident or even death, insurance could help us financially and also ensure we fulfil our obligation as an employer.

 

What your basic maid insurance MUST cover

Here’s a quick recap of what requirements you need to satisfy when purchasing insurance for your helper:

Medical Insurance	Coverage of at least $15,000 per year for inpatient care and day surgery during your helper’s stay in Singapore
Personal Accident Insurance	Must have a sum assured of at least $60,000* per year Must cover sudden, unforeseen and unexpected incidents resulting in permanent disability or death Must not contain extra exclusion clauses that are not in the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations *Compensation to be paid to your helper or her beneficiaries
Medical Examination (ME)	First ME To be done within 2 weeks of your helper’s arrival in Singapore (Pre-Employment ME) Subsequent MEs every 6 months to screen for pregnancy and infectious diseases such as syphilis; HIV tests to be done every 2 years; tuberculosis test to be done once, after 2 years of stay in Singapore

There are other requirements to fulfil when hiring a foreign domestic worker, such as paying a $5,000 security bond. Read our article on How to Hire a Maid in Singapore.

 

Why it’s better to go beyond basic

“Aiyah, it’s not like she’ll be staying here for long with us. I’ll just get the bare minimum to fulfil my legal obligations lah.”

Whether you plan to hire a helper for the long haul or just for a short time, it’s always better to consider getting a maid insurance plan that goes beyond the basic requirements.

Some insurance policies can cover the employer and helper for accidental injury to a third person, or accidental damages to their property. There are also maid insurance policies that cover the costs of the 6-monthly medical examinations and outpatient doctor visits.

What if you and the helper don’t have any “chemistry” from the beginning? Some maid insurance policies allow cancellation in the first three months with a 100% refund, and there are plans in which the insurer pays the $5,000 bond for you instead.

And if your helper has pre-existing medical conditions, are those covered by the insurer at no additional cost? What if she needs to go on home leave or renew her passport?

Policies such as FWD’s maid insurance go above and beyond the basic requirements to cover cancellation, bond, pre-existing conditions, theft by helper, and more.

 

How are independent maid insurance add-ons different from the usual insurance riders? And how can they help you?

So you’ve already bought a maid insurance policy, but it’s really basic. Cancelling it would be a hassle and might incur extra costs.

You can either enhance it with the existing riders available from that insurer, or opt to tag on independent add-ons from a different insurer, such as FWD.

It’s like buying a packet of plain noodles from Stall A and opting to eat it with dishes from Stall B, because the dishes there suit your taste buds better. Something like that.

 

What independent maid insurance add-ons are available?

You’ll definitely want to cover outpatient expenses such as those GP clinic visits. Even if your GP only charges $25 a visit, 10 visits add up to $250, and so on. The cost of those 6-monthly medical examinations don’t come cheap also, so it’s a good thing if the add-on can alleviate costs for that.

As an illustration of what’s available, here are some of FWD’s independent add-ons to enhance your existing maid insurance:

Cashless Outpatient medical expenses	This covers your helper’s outpatient medical expenses if she falls sick with common ailments like the cough and cold. FWD’s Cashless Outpatient plan pays up to $30 per doctor’s visit after the first $10 is paid at their network clinics.
6-monthly medical examination	FWD’s medical examination package helps employers save on MOM’s mandatory 6-monthly medical tests (for pregnancy and syphilis). Choose to get the tests done either at home or at FWD’s selected clinics. Save 10% on each mandatory medical examination compared to the usual market price Select all 4 mandatory medical examinations to be done at home and save up to 10% off the regular price
Performance bond for Philippine Embassy	For Filipino maids only: If your helper is going on home leave or needs to renew her passport, the employer will need to purchase a Philippine Embassy Bond and submit it to the embassy. In case the bond is called, the employer does not need to pay anything more and FWD will pay it instead.

 

Better protection and peace of mind at an affordable price

Having these independent maid insurance add-ons aren’t just wallet-friendly, but also benefit both your helper and yourself. They really help to defray all the additional costs (that really can add up) and can reduce unnecessary administrative hassle where the performance bond is concerned.

Says Mahima Tankha Marwah, FWD Chief Marketing Officer: “At FWD, we know that people have different priorities and needs when it comes to choosing insurance coverage for their domestic helpers. By offering customers more choice in the form of these add-ons, we hope they, and their helpers, can be reassured with the protection they need.” 

Just look at it this way — getting an independent add-on for your basic maid insurance is but small change for more savings in the long run and better protection.

Get a personalised quote from FWD here.

 

What do you usually look for when buying maid insurance? Let us know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Coverage for your policy is automatic and no further action is required from you. For more information on the types of benefits that are covered under the scheme as well as the limits of coverage, where applicable, please contact your insurer or visit the GIA/LIA or SDIC webs-sites (www.gia.org.sg or www.lia.org.sg or www.sdic.org.sg). This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Information is meant purely for informational purposes and should not be relied upon as financial advice.