According to the Singapore Cancer Society, over 1,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. If those figures aren’t sobering enough, it’s estimated that over 400 women would die from the disease.
As women, we’re more susceptible to not just breast cancer, but a whole host of diseases, critical illnesses (not to mention childbirth complications) and procedures that perhaps your other insurance plans may not cover.
Enter women or female-specific insurance plans — designed to (surprise, surprise) specifically address a woman’s health essentials. If you have a family history of cancer, this might be a good plan to purchase. It provides extra protection (and you’ll even get free health screenings to boot). Don’t forget, early detection is key!
To get you properly acquainted with this realm of health insurance plans (in case you were wondering, men have those too), here are four female-specific health policies and what they offer.
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Best Women’s Health Insurance Plans, At A Glance
1. AXA CritiCare For Her
Type: Critical illness plan
If you’re looking for a plan that provides coverage to both mother and child, this is the one for you. This is a women’s life insurance plan that delivers precisely what it promises. Policy holders get to keep tabs on their health with free preventive screenings every two years. The coverage ensures each critical illness stage is addressed and are categorised as four core benefits, namely:
- Female illness benefit reset
- Surgery benefit
- Reconstructive surgery or skin grafting benefit
- Support benefit
Once covered, you’ll be able to make multiple claims of up to 300% of the sum assured from the plan’s core benefits. And, an additional $25,000 cover under the Support benefit. In all, you can claim up to 3.5 times the sum assured. This will put anyone’s mind at ease, as chances of forking out of pocket are slim.
On the premium waiver front, don’t worry about paying for three years if there are claims made under the female illness benefit.
Granted, it is capped at a max of two such claims (premium waiver), triggered by a combined claim value of 50% of the sum assured (of the Female Illness Benefit). Plus, parents would especially appreciate the $5,000 cover for the child upon a critical illness diagnosis.
2. NTUC Income Lady 360
Type: Term life plan
In terms of scope of coverage, NTUC Income Lady 360 is as extensive as they come. It covers specific female illnesses, female surgeries and post-diagnosis support benefits. As compared to AXA’s CritiCare For Her, the premium waiver loses out slightly at just two years upon a female-related illness diagnosis.
There’s also the female surgeries benefit limit that is only claimable up to 50% of the sum assured to consider.
On the plus side, the plan offers complimentary health screenings every two years and a sizeable death benefit ($10,000) that would put you at ease should, say, a breast cancer diagnosis proves to be fatal (knock on wood).
Having the option to claim multiple times and still enjoy continued coverage from the plan is also a nice touch. However, do note that you can only claim up to 100% of the sum assured for female illnesses and support benefit, after which the benefits will not be claimable again.
3. Prudential’s PRULady
Type: Health insurance
Planning on freezing your eggs one day? If you are, you’ll be stoked to know that PRULady covers Oocyte Cryopreservation (A.K.A. egg freezing) at 100% of the sum assured but only due to covered female cancers.
However, there’s plenty to appreciate even if that’s not on your to-do list. The plan pretty much does the job of covering the illnesses and conditions that plague us women — we’re talking even more niche procedures such as hormone replacement therapy and outpatient psychiatric.
The premium waivers are also as competitive as AXA’s, pegged at a three-year duration if you are found to have a female-related illness.
If you’re at a certain life stage where extra protection is necessary (like carrying a child), you can add on benefits to cover things like hospital care, congenital illnesses and/or pregnancy complications.
4. AIA Glow of Life
Type: Critical illness plan
For a critical illness plan, AIA Glow of Life adequately covers the absolutely necessary — 100% sum assured coverage of female dreaded illnesses (think cancer, lupus, arthritis) and a range of female health procedures ranging from surgical repair of the urinary incontinence to reconstructive surgery reimbursement caused by burns or accidents (up to 100% of the sum assured claimable!).
Plus, enjoy complimentary health screenings every two years, a recurring feature across all the women-centric plans on this list. As cancer is not to be taken lightly, you’re also entitled to seek a second opinion if need be.
Perhaps another standout feature is its renewal bonus of an additional 5% of the principal sum assured each time you renew the policy. However, this honeymoon period lasts only for the first five years.
SingSaver is a personal finance comparison platform which provides free, quick and easily accessible resources to help consumers understand personal finance products in Singapore; including credit cards, personal loans and travel insurance.
This article was first published in SingSaver and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
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