2020 ultimate guide to the cost of giving birth in Singapore

Congratulations! Having a child means officially progressing to the next stage of your life. The time required and financial resources (costs) needed to raise a child is a big responsibility.

In fact, the costs of raising a child kick start the moment you find out you are pregnant. In this article, we will explore the costs of giving birth in Singapore.

If you want to directly explore the cost of giving birth in the different hospitals in Singapore, please follow the links below:

• Gynaecologist Fees for Pregnancy
• TLDR: 1 bedded (Private) vs Ward A (Government)
• Government Hospital – Ward A
• Government Hospital – Ward B1
• Government Hospital – Ward B2
• Government Hospital – Ward C
• Private Hospital – 1 Bedded
• Private Hospital – 2 Bedded
• Private Hospital – 4 Bedded
• Medisave Maternity Package – Using Medisave for Childbirth
• How to claim childbirth expenses under Medisave Maternity Package

Gynaecologist fees for pregnancy in Singapore

Choosing the
right gynaecologist is an important first step for you so that you would feel
comfortable throughout your pregnancy up until your delivery.

First Trimester – Prenatal checkup costs

Depending on
when you find out that you are pregnant, you may only have 1 – 3 prenatal check-ups
during the first trimester.

If you are seeing a private gynaecologist for the first time, the consultation fee ranges from $120 – $200. Subsequent visits will be cheaper, between $50 – $100. You will also be doing ultrasounds throughout your pregnancy with each ultrasound costing anywhere between $80 – $200 each session.

During the
course of your prenatal check-ups, you would also need to pay for blood and
urine tests, medication (if needed), supplements (e.g folic acids, fish oils
etc) and fetal assessment (e.g OSCAR test, Fetal anomaly scan etc).

Second and Third Trimester – Prenatal checkup costs

Private
practise gynaecologists usually offer a package anywhere from the second
trimester (most commonly from 20 weeks, but some offer as early as week 16),
and you can expect to pay between $800 – $1600 for the maternity
package.

If you are
unsure if you want to continue with your existing gynaecologist, you may continue
to pay per-visit rate. However, if you are continuing with the current
gynaecologist, it would be more economical to go with the maternity package offered
by the gynaecologist.

If you go to
a public hospital gynaecologist, you will have to pay per-visit rate as
government hospitals do not offer maternity packages.

Here is what
you can expect to pay for your prenatal check-ups when visiting a private
gynaecologist vs government hospital gynaecologist.

Type	Cost for prenatal checkups
Private Gynaecologist	$2000 – $3000
Public Gynaecologist under subsidized rates	$600 – $800

Cost of delivering in Singapore hospitals (Government vs Private hospitals)

In Singapore, one can choose to give birth in a government restructured (public) hospital or a private hospital. There are 3 government restructured hospitals and 7 private hospitals for you to choose from.

With Singapore being renowned for her high standard of healthcare, choosing between public and private really depends on your budget and your personal comfort level with a particular hospital and its maternity wards. Data is taken from the Ministry of Health.

Types of delivery

With each
pregnancy being unique, we will explore the different modes of delivery –
normal, assisted or caesarean delivery and the costs associated with each type
of delivery.

Normal
delivery. A normal
delivery is a low-risk vaginal delivery in which labour is allowed to progress
on its own with the free movement and positioning of the mother.

Assisted
delivery. An assisted
birth is when forceps or a ventouse suction cup are used to
help deliver the baby.

Caesarean
(c-section) delivery.
A caesarean delivery is a surgical procedure in which a foetus is
delivered through an incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus.

Types of hospital bedrooms for delivery

There are many different types of hospital bedrooms that cater to your budget. If you want privacy, you may wish to opt for Ward A in a government hospital or a 1 bedded room in a private hospital.

If you wish to go for a more affordable option, you may opt for ward B1, B2, B2+ or C in a government hospital or a 2 bedded to 4 bedded room in a private hospital.

Length of stay

We also
explore the length of stay associated with the different types of delivery,
hospital and hospital bedroom. This is so as to give you a better understanding
on how many days you could be staying in the various hospitals before bringing
your new-born home.

Let us now explore the costs associated with giving birth in a Singapore hospital.

TL;DR: 1 bedded (Private Hospital) vs Ward A (Government Hospital)

This is a summary of the median cost of giving birth in Singapore in a 1 bedded private hospital vs ward A in a government hospital.

Ward A in a government hospital is essentially the same as a 1 bedded room in a private hospital.

Cost of giving birth in a government (public) hospital in Singapore

Ward A – Government Hospital

Ward Class A
in a government restructured hospital is a single bedded air-conditioned room that
comes with attached bathroom and toilet.

Ward B1 – Government Hospital

• 

Ward Class B1 in a government restructured hospital is a four bedded air conditioned room and the occupants will share the bathroom and toilet. Level of government subsidy is 20%.

Ward B2 – Government Hospital

Ward Class B2 in a government restructured hospital is a six bedded self-ventilated room and the occupants will share the bathroom and toilet. Level of government subsidy is 50 – 65%.

Ward C – Government Hospital

Ward Class C in a government restructured hospital is an eight to ten bedded self-ventilated room and the occupants will share the bathroom and toilet. Level of government subsidy is 65 – 80%.

Cost of giving birth in a private hospital in Singapore

The
following explores the costs of giving birth in a private hospital in
Singapore.

1 Bedded – Private Hospital

1 bedded
room in a private hospital is a single bedded air-conditioned room and comes
with attached bathroom and toilet.

2 Bedded – Private Hospital

• 

2 bedded room in a private hospital has two beds in an air-conditioned room and the occupants will share the bathroom and toilet.

4 Bedded – Private Hospital

4 bedded room in a private hospital has four beds in an air-conditioned room and the occupants will share the bathroom and toilet.

Medisave Maternity Package (MMP) – Using Medisave for childbirth

Giving birth
can be supported by Medisave, and you can tap on the medisave maternity package
to help ease your maternity costs.

How to claim for delivery expense under Medisave Maternity Package (MMP)

MediSave can be used at both public and private
hospitals. Follow these 3 easy steps to make your claim for delivery expenses
under the MMP:

• Keep
  all your receipts for pre-delivery care, including pre-natal consultations, ultrasound
  scans, tests and medication.
• Present
  the receipts to the hospital where your baby was delivered.
• The
  hospital will help you claim both the delivery and pre-delivery expenses under
  the MediSave Maternity Package.

Here are the
expenses that you can claim under the Medisave Maternity Package:

Expense	Medisave claimable
Pre-delivery expense	$900
Hospitalisation	$450 per day
Delivery procedure (Normal)	$750
Delivery procedure (Assisted)	$1,250
Delivery procedure (C-section)	$2,150
Delivery procedure (C-section with hysterectomy)	$2,600
Delivery procedure (C-section with tubal ligation)	$3,950

Example of using Medisave for delivery

This is the
example of Sarah:

• Gives
  birth at Mount Alvernia hospital
• Normal
  delivery
• Stays
  2 nights in the hospital
• Pre-delivery
  (e.g consultations & ultrasound) of $1500

Total delivery expense: $8,182 (median cost as per above) + $1,500 = $9,682

Medisave claimable: $900 (pre delivery expense) + $450×2
(hospitalisation) + $750 (normal delivery) = $2,550

Total cash needed: $7,132