Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 9th February 2026, 3:44 AM
Singapore’s health insurance system has come under scrutiny as data reveal the severe difficulties policyholders face when appealing against insurers. Recent parliamentary disclosures indicate that insurance companies emerge victorious in nearly 96% of disputes, highlighting a substantial imbalance in the dispute resolution process.
On 4 February 2026, State Secretary Alvin Tan presented these findings to Parliament, citing the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) latest report. The figures were revealed in response to a query by Dr. Hamid Razak, Member of Parliament for West Coast–Jurong West GRC, regarding the challenges policyholders encounter in settling claims.
Tan noted that the MAS report, which follows an earlier publication in November 2025, underscores the structural disparity in health insurance claims resolutions. Between 2022 and 2024, the Financial Industry Dispute Resolution Centre (FIDReC) handled an average of 246 mediation and adjudication cases annually, of which approximately 95 involved health insurance disputes.
Independent reviewers found that only 4% of health insurance claims were decided in favour of policyholders over this three-year period. This means that in most instances, insurers successfully defended their positions, leaving claimants with minimal chances of full or partial compensation.
The following table summarises the key data from 2022 to 2024:
| Year | Total FIDReC Cases | Health Insurance Cases | Policyholder Success | Success Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 250 | 98 | 4 | 4.1 |
| 2023 | 240 | 92 | 4 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 248 | 95 | 4 | 4.2 |
| Average | 246 | 95 | 4 | 4.2 |
Experts suggest that increasing transparency in insurance policy terms and providing more proactive guidance from insurers could reduce disputes and improve acceptance rates for legitimate claims.
Despite the low success rate for claimants, FIDReC continues to offer mediation and independent evaluation services to ensure that policyholders have access to a fair adjudication process. Nonetheless, the data make it clear that winning a health insurance claim in Singapore remains a formidable challenge, reflecting broader concerns about equity and accountability in the sector.
Comments