Employers to buy medical insurance for foreign workers

By S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 13 September 2007 1626 hrs

From January next year, employers will have to buy and maintain insurance for the medical expenses of all foreign workers on Work Permit or S Pass.
This follows the withdrawal of healthcare subsidies for foreigners.
The requirement will apply to both new and existing workers and will also include foreign domestic workers.
The Manpower Ministry says the coverage must be at least $5,000 a year for each worker's inpatient care and day surgery, while staying in Singapore. It's estimated that this amount of insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover nine out of every ten hospital bills for foreign workers, based on statistics provided by the Health Ministry.
The requirement to purchase and maintain medical insurance will also be included as a condition for a work permit or S-pass.
This is in line with the employers' existing responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of their foreign workers, including the provision of medical treatment.
To help employers meet the medical insurance requirement, MOM says it has worked with the insurers to make available suitable plans.