6 Important Questions About Maid Insurance

Do I need to buy medical insurance for my helper?

The answer is YES: You need to buy medical and personal accident insurance for your helper.

This is by law in Singapore, and this Maid Insurance policy has to be in effect before your helper arrives in Singapore, as part of your medical obligations to her.

Likewise, if she is a transfer helper, the policy has to be purchased and in effect before she is deployed to your house to work.

Please note that as an employer, you must not pass on the cost of purchasing the insurance to your helper.

What are the requirements for purchase of Medical Insurance for my helper?

Employers need to purchase at least $15,000 per year for inpatient care and day surgery during your helper’s stay in Singapore.

What are the requirements for purchase of Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) for my helper?

As per MOM regulations, the PAI policy must have a sum assured of at least $60,000 per year.

This is because your helper is employed by you and they work and live in the same premise as your household, making it hard to determine whether any injury sustained while working was due to work-related activities or not.

Hence, this Personal Accident Insurance would cover her during her length of work with you.

And this Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) has to cover sudden, unforeseen and unexpected incidents resulting in permanent disability or death.

In addition, this Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) must not contain extra exclusion clauses that are not in the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations.

This insurance is extremely important to help you with expenses as an employer, and also to protect your helper and her family by providing a secured compensation if she suffers from any permanent disability or passes away as a result of an accident. (In this case: the compensation must be made payable to your maid or her beneficiaries.)

Should I get a higher insurance plan for my helper?

In light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, employers are highly encouraged to buy a higher insurance coverage for their helpers. This is to help employers alleviate unforeseen medical costs, if any, especially when hospitalisation costs could amount to quite a large bill.

MOM also strongly encourages employers to buy additional insurance coverage for greater protection against medical bills incurred by your helper, providing you greater peace of mind.

However, as an employer, you will know best which insurance plan is preferred, depending on your own budget and risk appetite.

Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, what is especially important to check on before I purchase medical insurance for my helper?

Always check that the medical insurance you are about to purchase, covers the treatment and hospitalisation costs of Covid-19 should your helper need treatment due to Covid-19.

Pay special attention to the features of the insurance plan, such as the exclusion clauses.

As an employer, am I fully responsible for my maid’s inpatient and outpatient costs?

Yes.

As an employer, you are fully responsible under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act for the cost of both inpatient and outpatient treatment.