May you never dislocate an arm like me.

I dislocated my arm while attempting my final climbing route of the night. I ended up at the Accident & Emergency Department in Tan Tock Seng Hospital on 17 Mar 2022.

In summary, the total cost of my personal dislocation accident was SG$1,360 without subsidies and SG$765 with subsidies. 

Fortunately, the entire medical bill was covered by a mix of my personal Sompo accident plan and corporate AIA medical insurance. I even received a weekly income benefit from Sompo!

Here’s a more detailed cost breakdown plus my own reflections of the incident.

Cost of visiting a public hospital in Singapore

Here’s a breakdown of the total cost of my elbow dislocation while getting treated at a public hospital in Singapore.

• A&E: The emergency visit (including the ambulance ride) was SG$132 while the medicine dispensed was SG$4.
• Consultations: In total, I went for four consultations. The initial visit cost me SG$40 and subsequent ones were SG$38. Casting costs SG$55 while the X-ray costs SG$25.
• Medical equipment: My elbow support costs SG$168, while my 2 arm slings cost SG$18 in total. Take note there are no government subsidies for medical equipment.
• Physiotherapy: I went for seven sessions in total. Each session ranged from SG$18 – SG$38, depending on whether extra physiotherapy equipment was used. Every session was also with a different physiotherapist.

The above is the entire bill breakdown in Excel, comparing with & without subsidies.

Closing thoughts

Here are some reflections I’d like to share and hope that they can be good takeaways for anyone who has ever encountered the same thing as me (hopefully not!).

Reflection #1: Have enough emergency funds

I cannot stress this enough.

Though the public hospital expenses are rather affordable, with my bill cut by 56% after subsidies, SG$700ish is still quite a sum of money to me. Be sure to have emergency funds to account for accidents (and potential loss of income), especially if you don’t have personal accident insurance!

Before this incident, I only budgeted a hard number (SG$8,000) for my emergency funds, but switched to a percentage of my networth instead for a greater peace of mind and easier calculation. I now personally keep 10% of my networth in liquid (cash) and semi-liquid funds (SSBs).

Reflection #2: Singapore’s public hospital experience

Singapore has an efficient public healthcare system with kind healthcare workers. I almost fainted while they removed my cast and the horrified nurses crowded me with blankets and Milo drinks.

Be prepared for long waiting times at public hospitals, especially if your case isn’t urgent. The wait for my follow-up consultations wasn’t excruciating, but it was still long (roughly half a day). To be fair, however, I only waited for roughly 15 minutes before they set my arm back at the A&E. 

One of Sompo’s Personal Accident plan payout.

Reflection #3: Buying a personal accident plan

I’m also lucky to have bought personal accident insurance. To me, it’s a cheap peace of mind given my active lifestyle whereby the risk of injuries is higher. I paid SG$192.60/year for my Sompo PAStar Deluxe, which translates to SG$16.05/month. 

In total, I received SG$200 in weekly income benefits after the accident. 

I highly recommend this provider and plan. Sompo offers one of the most price-competitive premiums, with all my needed coverage included.

The top features of this personal accident plan include:

• Accidental Death/Permanent Disablement up to $100,000
• Medical expenses coverage up to $3,000 for accidents and 17 Specified Infectious Diseases, including Dengue Fever, Hand Foot Mouth Disease, and ZIKA virus.
• Weekly Income Benefit for temporary total disablement for any one Accident, $100 per week
• Daily Hospitalisation Allowance up to 365 days for any one Accident, $100 per day
• Mobility Aid purchase or rental of Mobility Aid as prescribed by a Registered Medical Practitioner, up to $3,000 for any one Accident
• Marriage Bonus Allowance of S$100.
• Cancellation of Staycation or Covered Event Due to Hospitalisation.
• Baby Bonus Allowance of S$100.
• Free Extension Coverage for Food Poisoning, Accidental Miscarriage, Insect/Animal Bites.
• Full Terrorism Coverage.

 Reflection #4: Proper documentation of invoices

Even after buying a PA plan, you have to claim it to offset your accident expenses. While claiming, the insurer would like to see your medical records/report and invoices before disbursing the amount claimed.

Be sure to take pictures of all your invoices and label them!

I found it a breeze to track what needs to be claimed after sorting them out.

Reflection #5: Opting to stop my physiotherapy earlier than recommended

This might not be for all of us, but I opted to stop my sessions due to the distance and time spent travelling to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. 

No regrets about stopping earlier as I could easily replicate the physio activities I researched myself online plus what the therapist recommended.

What could have been done differently

Looking back, was there anything I would have done differently?

I went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital a total of 11 times for consultation, cast removal, and physiotherapy. The travel back and forth was close to 45 minutes from my home in the East. 

In hindsight, I probably should have immediately transferred to a nearer hospital like Changi General Hospital for my follow-up consultations. Similarly, I could have gone to a private physiotherapist nearby, especially since I was covered by my personal accident plan.

 Fortunately, my dad had his car and could ferry me to and fro, with parking roughly ~$5 for each trip. Alternatively, I could also have taken private transport and used my weekly income benefit to offset the costs. 

Always Yours,

Val