If you employ a helper, you have to buy maid insurance before her Work Permit is issued, and the cheapest compliant plan is not always the smart one. To compare maid insurance properly in 2026, start from what the Ministry of Manpower actually mandates: at least $60,000 a year in medical coverage, at least $60,000 in personal accident cover, and a $5,000 security bond. Everything above that floor, the medical cap, the dental limit, the wage payout while she is hospitalised, is optional padding you choose based on your household. Entry-tier 26-month plans now start near $258, while top tiers with a $100,000 medical cap run past $520. This guide walks through every figure so you pay for cover you will use, not cover that looks impressive on a brochure.
Three things are legally compulsory, and no insurer can issue you a non-compliant policy for a Work Permit. The minimum medical insurance is an annual claim limit of at least $60,000 for inpatient care and day surgery. The minimum personal accident cover is $60,000, paid to your helper or her family for permanent disability or death from an accident. On top of those, you post a $5,000 security bond, which most insurers fold into the personal accident plan at no extra premium by issuing a guarantee to MOM instead of a cash deposit.
The $60,000 medical floor took effect in two stages. Stage 1 applied to policies starting on or after 1 July 2023, raising the old $15,000 cap to $60,000. Stage 2 applied to policies starting on or after 1 July 2025, adding direct billing so hospitals are paid by the insurer, plus a standardised exclusion list and age-banded pricing. Both stages are now live, so any 2026 plan you compare already meets them.
Two policy mechanics matter for your wallet. The first is the co-payment: the insurer fully covers the first $15,000 of an eligible bill, and on the portion above $15,000 the employer pays 25% while the insurer pays 75%, up to the annual cap. The second is the Letter of Guarantee. Since 1 July 2025, insurers reimburse the hospital directly once a claim is admissible, so you no longer front a five-figure bill and wait for a refund. Knowing your deductible and co-share exposure is the real point of comparing plans.
The co-payment trips up most employers, so here is a worked example. Say your helper needs an appendectomy and the final bill is $23,000. The insurer covers the first $15,000 in full. On the remaining $8,000, you pay 25% ($2,000) and the insurer pays 75% ($6,000). Your out-of-pocket is $2,000, and thanks to the Letter of Guarantee you settle that with the hospital rather than paying the whole $23,000 upfront and chasing a claim.
Several insurers let you buy down the co-payment to 10% or 0% at the point of purchase, usually on their top tiers. That is the single biggest reason to read past the headline premium. A plan that is $40 dearer but drops your co-share from 25% to 0% can save you thousands on one major admission. This is the same logic as a co-insurance feature on your own health plan.
Most employers buy a 26-month policy to match a two-year Work Permit plus a buffer, which works out cheaper per month than renewing 14-month plans. The figures below are indicative 26-month premiums for a helper under 50, bond included, grouped by tier. Premiums move with promotions and the helper's age, so treat these as a planning range and pull a live quote before you pay. Verified against insurer product pages as of June 2026.
| Insurer | Entry tier | Mid tier | Top tier | Top medical cap | Dental/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTUC Income | from $278 | from $348 | from $458 | $80,000 | $100 |
| FWD | from $258 | from $328 | from $418 | $120,000 | $80 |
| MSIG MaidPlus | from $288 | from $358 | from $478 | $120,000 | $150 |
| Great Eastern | from $298 | from $368 | from $498 | $90,000 | $180 |
| Etiqa ePROTECT | from $268 | from $338 | from $438 | $75,000 | $100 |
| AIG | from $308 | from $388 | from $528 | $100,000 | $200 |
Every plan clears the same $60,000 floor, so the price gap buys you these five variables. Match them to how your household lives, not to the longest feature list.
Top tiers raise the annual medical limit to $80,000, $90,000, $100,000 or even $120,000. This matters most for older helpers and those caring for elderly parents, who statistically face more falls, back injuries and longer admissions.
Entry plans often cap outpatient cover near $500 a year; richer tiers stretch to $2,000 to $3,000. If your helper sees a GP often or you want specialist consults covered, this line is worth paying up for.
Some plans pay a daily allowance, often $10 to $50 a day capped at 30 to 60 days, while your helper is hospitalised, and reimburse the cost of a temporary replacement helper, commonly up to around $1,000. This is the benefit that helps a dual-income family keep functioning during a long admission.
Repatriation covers sending your helper home for serious medical reasons or in the event of death. A waiver of counter-indemnity means the insurer will not chase you to repay the $5,000 bond if MOM forfeits it for certain breaches, which is a genuine financial backstop.
Pick by who the helper looks after and how exposed you are to a big bill, then compare premiums only within that band. A short personal budget check confirms the annual cost fits before you commit.
| Household | Tier to compare | Rough 26-month cost | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget, fit young helper, no kids | Entry | $258 to $278 | MOM minimum is enough; default 25% co-pay acceptable |
| Young children or frequent travel | Mid | $338 to $368 | Higher outpatient, dental, wage cover while you are away |
| Eldercare or helper aged 50+ | Top | $478 to $528 | $90k to $100k cap and 0% co-pay buy-down cut big-bill risk |
You buy online: get a quote, pay, and the insurer issues the certificate and the $5,000 bond to MOM electronically, usually within minutes. Renew at least 14 days before expiry, because a lapse can invalidate the Work Permit and leave you uninsured for any admission in the gap.
Switching mid-policy is allowed but rarely worth it. You typically face a $50 to $80 cancellation fee, get only a pro-rata refund, and any pre-existing condition exclusions reset on the new plan. Compare thoroughly at renewal instead, when you can move freely. For the wider cost of employing a helper, see our breakdown of the cost of hiring a maid in Singapore, and for the MOM-rules angle on this same topic our FDW insurance requirements explainer.
You must hold at least $60,000 a year in medical insurance, at least $60,000 in personal accident cover, and post a $5,000 security bond. Most insurers bundle the bond into the personal accident plan at no extra charge by guaranteeing it to MOM.
The insurer fully covers the first $15,000 of an eligible bill. On the amount above $15,000, up to the annual cap, you pay 25% and the insurer pays 75%. Some top-tier plans let you buy this down to 10% or 0% at purchase.
For a young, healthy helper with no eldercare duties, an entry-tier plan from around $258 to $278 for 26 months meets every MOM rule and is usually fine. For older helpers or eldercare, a top tier with a higher cap and lower co-payment cuts your big-bill risk.
Since 1 July 2025, insurers reimburse the hospital directly once a claim is admissible, using a Letter of Guarantee. You no longer pay a large bill upfront and wait for a refund; you settle only your co-payment share with the hospital.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.