Healthcare costs depend heavily on status, provider, subsidised route and insurance. A consultation fee is rarely the whole bill: medicines, laboratory tests, scans, procedures and GST may be separate.
Fees are named examples, not islandwide caps or guaranteed quotations. Confirm current charges and request financial counselling for planned hospital care.
Start with eligibility
| Item | Citizen | Permanent Resident | Foreigner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyclinic | Subsidised citizen rate | Subsidised, generally higher | Published non-resident rate |
| CHAS GP and dental subsidies | All citizens eligible; valid CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation card and participating clinic required; benefit varies | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| Subsidised public specialist care | Up to 70%, means-tested and eligible referral | 25%, eligible referral | Generally non-subsidised |
| Subsidised B2/C inpatient care | Up to 80% | Up to 50% | Generally not eligible |
| MediShield Life | Covered | Covered | Not covered |
For subsidised specialist treatment, citizens and PRs normally need an eligible referral. Choosing a named specialist may place the visit on the private route. Confirm status when booking.
Published consultation examples
| Service | Citizen | PR | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUP adult medical consultation, effective 1 Sep 2026 | S$19.60 | S$43.50 | S$83.71 |
| SGH subsidised specialist consultation | S$31.90–S$74.43 | S$79.75 | Not applicable |
| SGH non-resident specialist, first consultation | — | — | S$221.62–S$287.65 |
| SGH Emergency Department attendance | S$163.20 published attendance fee | ||
NUP says its consultation excludes medicines, laboratory tests, X-rays, vaccinations and other services. SGH’s emergency attendance fee includes specified basic care, but additional services are chargeable. Compare expected total bill, not the consultation headline.
Specialist and hospital costs
There is no useful single hospital-stay price. Diagnosis, procedure, ward, length of stay and implants can change the bill substantially. MOH’s cost-financing search reports actual citizen bill references before MediShield Life and MediSave payouts. PRs and foreigners should not assume a citizen example matches their quotation.
For medicines, ask whether every item is subsidised and request an itemised repeat-prescription estimate. MediSave is not a general-purpose wallet for every clinic bill; withdrawal limits and co-payment rules apply.
Routine dental benchmarks
MOH’s private primary-care benchmarks, last updated 28 November 2025, are references for typical routine cases before GST, not mandatory caps.
| Service | Benchmark before GST |
|---|---|
| Consultation | S$21–S$31 |
| Scaling | S$35–S$60 |
| Polishing | S$26–S$38 |
| Simple filling | S$65–S$160 |
| Posterior extraction | S$93–S$164 |
Complexity, X-rays, anaesthesia and additional treatment change the price. Request a written treatment plan before non-urgent work. CHAS dental support applies only to eligible citizens at participating clinics.
A transparent monthly-reserve example
This exercise assumes an adult without known recurring treatment. The medicine/test and unexpected-care allowances are explicit planning choices.
| Annual item | Citizen | PR | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two NUP consultations | S$39.20 | S$87.00 | S$167.42 |
| One private dental consultation, scaling and polishing — MOH benchmark subtotal before GST | S$82–S$129 | S$82–S$129 | S$82–S$129 |
| Chosen medicine/test allowance | S$150 | S$150 | S$150 |
| Chosen unexpected outpatient buffer | S$300 | S$300 | S$300 |
| Practical rounded monthly reserve | About S$50 | About S$55 | About S$60 |
Add insurance premiums separately and increase the reserve for dependants, repeat prescriptions or known dental work. Employer benefits, CHAS or insurance may reduce eventual cash payment.
What the routine budget does not cover
MediShield Life covers citizens and PRs for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments. Benefits are designed around subsidised B2/C public-hospital care; choosing private care or a higher ward may leave a larger share.
For any Integrated Shield, employer or private policy, check ward entitlement, panel rules, deductible, co-insurance, exclusions, pre-authorisation and outpatient or dental coverage. Foreign residents should inspect employer cover rather than assume public support.
How to estimate planned treatment
- Obtain the provisional diagnosis or procedure code.
- Ask the institution for an itemised estimate and financial counselling.
- Compare the code in MOH’s bill search.
- Ask the insurer for a benefit illustration or pre-authorisation.
- Keep a buffer for tests or treatment changes.
Related guides
Primary sources
- MOH — CHAS eligibility and subsidies
- National University Polyclinics — Fees and charges
- Singapore General Hospital — Outpatient charges
- MOH — Subsidies for specialist outpatient care
- MOH — Subsidies for acute inpatient care
- MOH — Guide to dental treatment costs
- MOH — Hospital bill and fee benchmark search
- MOH — MediShield Life
Last fact-checked: 3 September 2026. Rules, fees and official pages can change; check the linked source before acting.