If a person living in Singapore has a foreign domestic helper, that person must buy maid insurance. The Ministry of Manpower or MOM has made it mandatory to buy this insurance which is specially made for them. This insurance helps to cover all the medical charges of the maid. Even if they face any accident, the insurance will cover that as well.
The insurance policies that MOM recommended
MOM or the Ministry of Manpower has recommended the employers buy a few basic compulsory insurance coverages for their maids. These are as follows:
- Insurance for personal accidents of S$60,000 per year.
- Insurance that will cover the hospitalisation of the maid, including the expense of surgery of S$15,000 per year.
- A security bond of S$5,000
Thus, in Singapore, all insurance policies offered for domestic help cover all the points mentioned above. A reason for this is because these are compulsory. These insurances are meant to help and protect the domestic helper and their family. In case they face any serious accident or death.
The additional benefits that the insurance companies offer
Although most people find the basic insurance policy of the maids as recommended by MOM is sufficient. Many insurance companies provide some additional add-on benefits. The cost of these add-on benefits are not high and can be extremely helpful for you in the future.
These extra benefits include the following:
- If your domestic help’s personal belongings like mobile phones, jewellery, etc., gets stolen or lost, the insurance will cover that.
- The additional insurance policy also covers the wage of your maid. If your maid fails to work due to hospitalisation or other issues, the wage is paid for some time.
- The fees for the replacement of your maid also get covered.
- It also covers the repatriation expenses. If, in any case, your maid dies or becomes disabled permanently, she and her family will still get the money. It also covers her trip to her country. These can cost you a lot of money if you don’t have insurance.
- The additional insurance policy also covers outpatient expenses, which is vital and is not included in the basic insurance.
- If your domestic help commits any theft, the insurance will protect you and your properties.
- It also covers third-party liability. It means if your domestic helper causes any damage to a property of a third party or accidentally hurts them, the insurance will cover that expense.
- There are also many additional benefits. Nowadays, insurance also covers and also tries to protect against the coronavirus.
The things that are not covered
Thus, the points mentioned above are the things that the insurance policies coverage. There are a few things that they don’t. Let’s have a look at them too.
The insurance policies will not help the main for their psychiatric diseases, pregnancy, or suicide. Apart from this, the insurance coverage for permanent disability will also depend on the severity. These policies are not expensive, and the prices are also not high. Thus, if you are in a dilemma that why should you buy critical illness insurance for your maid, you should.
The right way to find the maid insurance policy
But what are the different ways to find the right maid insurance policies? Your answer lies in the following paragraphs.
- Buying insurance from an agency-If you have kept a foreign domestic help for the first time. And don’t know where to buy maid insurance in Singapore, do not fret. Buying maid insurance through a maid agency is the best option.
- Research before buying a policy- The agency offers various schemes. You may like some and some you may not like at all. You can do your research on the internet and can compare the policies.
- Go to the agency after deciding- After choosing the right policy, you can directly go to the agency and apply for the insurance. You may also have to pay commission and middlemen fees. The task is difficult and confusing if you are taking the policy for the first time.
More information related to the maid insurance
Duration- The maid insurance scheme provides two durations for fourteen months while the other for twenty-six months. If you are buying the insurance for the first time, buy the fourteen months insurance. The twenty-six months insurance is, however, much cheaper, and you can get more discounts later.
- The different ties of the insurance-You should also know that most maid insurances have three tiers. These three tiers are- basic tier, mid-tier, and top tier. Generally, the higher tiers provide more coverage than the lower ones.
- The basic tier plan and mid-tier plan-The basic tier plan is for those who do not want to buy expensive insurance and do not want the extra coverage. The mid-tier plan is the best. It is reasonably priced. If your maid cannot work due to illness or is hospitalised, this insurance will compensate for the wage. The insurance will also cover her medical bills.
- The top tier plan-The top tier plan covers a wide range of things, including theft in your household. Though it’s expensive, it’s worth taking.
To sum up
However, you should take this insurance judiciously and not in haste. Before taking the insurance, you should know whether your maid has any pre-existing condition. If they have any pre-existing conditions, you can look for insurance that covers that. It will help you to choose the policy wisely.
Give more importance to outpatient benefits. Also, see whether the insurance is covering dengue, malaria, and COVID-19. Do your thorough research.
To Sum It Up
Numerous policies cover a lot of things. Therefore, it is advisable to compare the policies before finally buying them. These policies are for your good and the good of your maid. Do not consider it less important and ignore it.
