72% spike in number of people who dropped their IP riders in 2025

SINGAPORE – More than 112,000 people gave up their optional private health insurance add-ons in 2025.

This marks an increase of more than 72% from the 65,000 who discontinued their Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders in 2024.

An IP is a private medical insurance plan that gives additional coverage on top of what is provided through the national health insurance scheme MediShield Life. Riders help cover out-of-pocket costs.

In total, about 5.6% of the two-million-odd pool of IP rider policyholders threw in the towel in 2025, based on the latest figures provided to The Straits Times.

The exodus happened after existing policyholders weathered a period of rapidly rising premiums.

From December 2021 to December 2024, IP rider premiums increased by 17.2% each year, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

MOH has said the annual rider premiums could as much as triple when the policyholder’s age goes from 50 years to 70 years. By the time a person is in his or her 70s, the amount being paid each year could go up to $9,000.

Together with the IP, the amount paid could hit a range of $12,700 to $22,700, depending on the insurer and the coverage of the IP.

All Singaporeans are insured under MediShield Life, which covers expenses incurred for hospitalisations and certain outpatient treatments, such as radiotherapy for cancer and kidney dialysis.

Those who want additional coverage such as for stays in higher ward classes or private hospitals can purchase an IP. As at end-2024, about 71% of Singapore residents, or about three million people, had IPs.

Riders can be purchased on top of the base IP. These are generally meant to cover the patient’s share of the bill – deductibles and co-payment – with the rest paid by the insurer or MediShield Life.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a parliamentary reply in September that as IP and IP rider premiums continue to rise, many policyholders have downgraded or discontinued their plans, and the numbers have increased over the past three years.

For IPs, the number of downgrades and discontinuations in 2023 was 99,000. This grew to 105,900 in 2024, and 128,200 in 2025.

As for riders, the corresponding figure was 84,800 in 2023, 103,400 in 2024, and 181,800 in 2025.

MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Saktiandi Supaat had asked for the number of people who downgraded or discontinued their IPs due to affordability concerns.

Ong said MOH does not track the reasons behind these decisions, as the policyholders could have done so for various reasons, “including affordability concerns or to right-size coverage based on their needs and circumstances”.

In response to queries from ST, MOH provided the breakdown for the rider figures which showed that among those who had reduced their coverage, more than 60% discontinued their riders, while less than 40% downgraded their policy.

Figures for discontinuance of riders were around the same level, at 66,100 in 2023 and 65,000 in 2024, before spiking to 112,300 in 2025.

Figures for those who chose to downgrade to lower-tier riders steadily increased from 18,700 in 2023 to 38,300 in 2024 and 69,400 in 2025.

One policyholder who is considering dropping his rider with Singlife is Oo Gin Lee.

The 57-year-old public relations consultant was shocked in April when he was informed that the premiums came up to around $9,000 to renew his IP, rider and an add-on to the rider which covers 90% of the annual IP deductible.

Eventually, he decided to drop the add-on deductible cover, and saved more than $3,700 as he only needed to pay about $5,200 to retain his IP and rider – with the rider premiums at $2,350.

“It doesn’t really make much sense for me to be paying premiums which are higher than the actual deductibles,” said Oo, who also plans to review whether to retain the rider when it is up for renewal in 2027.