1. How do I obtain a copy of the Inpatient Discharge Summary and do I have to pay any fees to the hospital concerned?
You can obtain a copy of the Inpatient Discharge Summary from the hospital concerned. Usually there is no cost to you.

2. Under what circumstances will you waive the requirement for a medical report which would require the payment of a fee on my part?
We may accept a copy of the Inpatient Discharge Summary as an alternative to the medical report if the total amount of your claim entitlement is below $1,000. Please submit the Inpatient Discharge Summary, so that we can decide if the medical report requirement can be waived.

3. Will I be able to seek reimbursement from more than one insurer for a medical expenses claim?
No, you can only seek reimbursement for incurred medical expenses from one insurer.

4. Can I request that a claim be paid to a third party other than myself who is the policyholder as well as the claimant?
In general, we can only pay the claim in your name. However, the insurer will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.

5. Is it compulsory to complete the claim form if I want to make a claim under the policy?
Yes, you will need to complete the claim form, as this will help the insurer to verify the details of your claim.

6. In the event of a death claim, who is entitled to receive the insurance benefit under my policy?
If the claim is admissible under the policy, the insurer will pay the benefit sum to the estate of the deceased. If a Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration is available, they will pay the nominated person(s) as outlined in this document.

7. Can I opt to defer my medical treatment to a later date for personal reasons, and if I do, will I be penalized?
If the deferment of medical treatment does not result in any deterioration in your existing medical condition and/or cause or lead to other medical conditions, the insurer will not penalize your claim. Note though that your policy may contain provisions that stipulate the timeframe within which expenses must be incurred, and these provisions will continue to apply.

8. Can I submit my claim via email (with scanned copies of supporting documents) or via fax?
No, Original documents is required to facilitate prompt claims assistance.

9. Will you still consider accepting my claim, even if I submit it after the 30-day deadline specified in your policy?
Insurer can still consider your claim if there are valid reasons for the late submission, provided that the delay has not prejudiced our assessment of the claim in any way.

1. Why do I need motor insurance?
In Singapore, it is against the law to drive a motor vehicle on the road without a valid insurance policy. The minimum requirement is that the policy provides cover for personal injury to other parties.

Motor insurance makes good sense. Besides covering you for personal injury to third parties, it could also cover you for costs if you damage someone else’s property or for any other loss or damage you might suffer in a motor accident.

Remember: always carry your Certificate of Insurance in your vehicle. The police may ask to see it in a routine check and it contains useful information that you will need should you be involved in an accident.

2. What types of motor insurance policies are available?
Insurers offer three main types of motor insurance policies. Optional benefits are available to meet your individual needs.

Third Party	Third Party, Fire and Theft	Comprehensive	Optional benefits for comprehensive policies (may be subject to payment of additional premium)
Death or injury to other parties	Death or injury to other parties	Death or injury to other parties	Windscreen Damage
Damage to other parties’ property	Damage to other parties’ property	Damage to other parties’ property	Damage arising from riot, strike and civil commotion
	Fire damage to, or theft of, your vehicle	Fire damage to, or theft of, your vehicle	Damage arising from flood and windstorm
		Accidental damage to your vehicle	Liability of passengers for acts of negligence
		Personal accident cover (private car only)	Personal accident benefits for passengers
		Medical expenses (private car only)	Additional excess
			No-Claim Discount protection (private car only)

3. How does the insurer set my premium?
Most insurers in Singapore adopt a “risk factor rating system” when setting your premium. This means that the premium is based on factors other than the vehicle’s value or the price you paid for it.

In general, the following risk factors are considered when setting your premium:

• Make and model of vehicle
• Engine capacity
• Age of vehicle
• Age, sex and occupation of drivers
• Driving experience of drivers
• Claims history of drivers
• What vehicle will be used for (private use/corporate use/commercial use/hire etc)
• Type of cover

These risk factors will not necessarily have an equal influence on the size of your premium. Your insurer will give each risk factor a weighting based on a range of statistics and past claims information.

4. What does my insurer need to know about me?
The insurer needs to know some information about you. This is to help it assess the business accepted from you and your needs as a policyholder. The proper premium can then be set.

It is important to answer these questions truthfully. Failure to do so may affect the level of payout you receive in the event that you make a claim. The following are some questions you may be asked:

• Have you made any recent claims?
• Have you ever received a ticket or been charged for a driving offence?
• Has your vehicle been modified?
• Who will be driving the vehicle?
• What will the vehicle be used for?
• Have you had any recent motor accidents?
• How long have you been driving?
• Do you have any medical conditions or disabilities that may affect your driving?

If you do not understand what is being asked, please clarify with your insurer, agent or broker.

5. What is the insurer recommended to disclose to me when I buy an insurance policy?

• The premium payable
• The excess (for insured and drivers – named and unnamed)
• The scope and period of coverage
• Restriction on drivers (if any)
• Restriction on repairs
• Non-standard exclusions
• Special accident reporting and claims procedures
• The insurer’s cancellation and refund policy

The General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) recommends that l your insurer provide a one-page summary of key contract terms and obligations with your policy. Please make a point of requesting this if your insurer has not provided it.

It is important to read your policy as soon as you receive it. This way you can be sure there are no surprises should you need to make a claim.

6. What is a No-Claim Discount (NCD)?
If you have not made a claim for a year or more, you are entitled to a No-Claim Discount (NCD). The NCD reduces the premium for the following year. This is your insurer’s way of recognising you for having been a careful driver. The following table shows how the NCD is set by all insurers across the industry.

Private car policies		Commercial vehicle and motorcycle policies
Period of insurance with no claim	Discount on renewal	Period of insurance with no claim	Discount on renewal
1 year	10%	1 year	10%
2 years	20%	2 years	15%
3 years	30%	3 years or longer	20%
4 years	40%
5 years or longer	50%

a) If I make a claim, will I automatically lose my NCD?
Not necessarily.

All insurers in Singapore use a guide called the Barometer of Liability Agreement (BOLA) to determine how much each party is liable in an accident.

The BOLA is designed to speed up claims processing. It does not diminish your right to contest liability under the law.

Under the BOLA, your NCD will not be affected if your liability is 20% or less in an accident involving an identified vehicle. In all other cases, your NCD may be affected.

b) Does my NCD apply to me, or to my vehicle?
In principle, your NCD applies to you and not to your vehicle. For example, if you sell your vehicle and buy another one, you will retain your NCD. However, if you own more than one vehicle, you might have a different NCD for each vehicle. You should check the details with your insurer, but generally:

Your NCD can:

Be transferred to another vehicle you own, but it cannot be applied to more than one vehicle at any point in time. For example, if you have accumulated a 30% NCD while using one vehicle, it does not follow that the same NCD applies to any other vehicle that you own or decide to buy. In other words, you will have to earn the NCD for each vehicle separately.

Your NCD cannot:

Be transferred to another person.

7. Can I insure against the loss of my NCD?
If you have accumulated a 50% NCD (five years or longer without a claim), some insurers may allow you to buy protection against the loss of the discount.

By paying a small amount of extra premium, you can make one claim during the year, and still have the discount fully protected. The 50% NCD is protected as follows:

Private car policies	Commercial vehicle and motorcycle policies
1	50%
2	20%
3 or more	Nil

Please check with your insurer whether NCD protection cover is available.

8. Will I lose my NCD if there is a break in ownership of my vehicle?
Most insurers in Singapore will allow you to keep your NCD should there be a break in ownership for up to 24 months. Some insurers set the timeframe at 12 months. You should contact your insurer for details.

9. Do I get a refund if I cancel my policy?
The common practice is that both you and your insurer can cancel your policy for any reason by giving seven days of written notice to the other party. If your insurer cancels the policy, it will refund you the unused proportion of the premium.

Some insurers refund the premium on a pro-rata basis with the deduction of a small administration fee. Others use a method that calculates what would have been charged if your policy were a short-term policy. This usually applies if the cancellation is at your request. Please check with your insurer how this is calculated.

Note that refunds might be subject to a minimum amount, and that your insurer might reserve the right not to refund any premium if a claim has been made on the policy.

Always check carefully and understand what is covered before you take up a policy.

10. How can safe driving save me even more money?
If you have not violated any traffic rules for three consecutive years, you are entitled to a Certificate of Merit from the Singapore Traffic Police.

Should your NCD be 30% and above for a private car policy or 20% for a privately owned commercial vehicle policy, some insurers may reward you with a further 5% discount upon presentation of your Certificate of Merit.

What is the Work Injury Compensation Act?
The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) provides injured employees with a low-cost and expeditious alternative to common law to settle compensation claims.

To claim under WICA, the employee only needs to prove that he was injured in a work accident or suffered a disease due to his work. Engaging a lawyer is not required to file a WICA claim. Under WICA, the employer (or employer’s insurer) is liable to pay the compensation regardless of who caused the accident/disease, and even after the employment has ceased or the Work Pass (of a foreign worker) has been cancelled. The amount of compensation is computed based on a fixed formula and is subject to caps. Dependants of deceased employees are also eligible to claim Work Injury Compensation.

Alternatively, the employee can file a civil suit against the negligent party under common law for damages. However, to succeed, he and his lawyer will need to prove that the employer or a third party had caused his injury. He will also need to substantiate the amount of damages before the Courts, and damages are not capped.

An injured employee can claim from either WICA or common law, but not from both.

1. How do I obtain a copy of the Inpatient Discharge Summary and do I have to pay any fees to the hospital concerned?
You can obtain a copy of the Inpatient Discharge Summary from the hospital concerned. Usually there is no cost to you.

2. Under what circumstances will you waive the requirement for a medical report which would require the payment of a fee on my part?
We may accept a copy of the Inpatient Discharge Summary as an alternative to the medical report if the total amount of your claim entitlement is below $1,000. Please submit the Inpatient Discharge Summary, so that we can decide if the medical report requirement can be waived.

3. Will I be able to seek reimbursement from more than one insurer for a medical expenses claim?
No, you can only seek reimbursement for incurred medical expenses from one insurer.

4. Can I request that a claim be paid to a third party other than myself who is the policyholder as well as the claimant?
In general, we can only pay the claim in your name. However, the insurer will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.

5. Is it compulsory to complete the claim form if I want to make a claim under the policy?
Yes, you will need to complete the claim form, as this will help the insurer to verify the details of your claim.

6. In the event of a death claim, who is entitled to receive the insurance benefit under my policy?
If the claim is admissible under the policy, the insurer will pay the benefit sum to the estate of the deceased. If a Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration is available, they will pay the nominated person(s) as outlined in this document.

7. Can I opt to defer my medical treatment to a later date for personal reasons, and if I do, will I be penalized?
If the deferment of medical treatment does not result in any deterioration in your existing medical condition and/or cause or lead to other medical conditions, the insurer will not penalize your claim. Note though that your policy may contain provisions that stipulate the timeframe within which expenses must be incurred, and these provisions will continue to apply.

8. Can I submit my claim via email (with scanned copies of supporting documents) or via fax?
No, Original documents is required to facilitate prompt claims assistance.

9. Will you still consider accepting my claim, even if I submit it after the 30-day deadline specified in your policy?
Insurer can still consider your claim if there are valid reasons for the late submission, provided that the delay has not prejudiced our assessment of the claim in any way.

1. Why do I need motor insurance?

In Singapore, it is against the law to drive a motor vehicle on the road without a valid insurance policy. The minimum requirement is that the policy provides cover for personal injury to other parties.

Motor insurance makes good sense. Besides covering you for personal injury to third parties, it could also cover you for costs if you damage someone else’s property or for any other loss or damage you might suffer in a motor accident.

Remember: always carry your Certificate of Insurance in your vehicle. The police may ask to see it in a routine check and it contains useful information that you will need should you be involved in an accident.

2. What types of motor insurance policies are available?
Insurers offer three main types of motor insurance policies. Optional benefits are available to meet your individual needs.

► Third Party

— Death or injury to other parties
— Damage to other parties’ property

► Third Party, Fire and Theft

— Death or injury to other parties
— Damage to other parties’ property
— Fire damage to, or theft of, your vehicle

► Comprehensive

— Death or injury to other parties
— Damage to other parties’ property
— Fire damage to, or theft of, your vehicle
— Accidental damage to your vehicle
— Personal accident cover (private car only)
— Medical expenses (private car only)

► Optional benefits for comprehensive policies (may be subject to payment of additional premium)

— Windscreen Damage
— Damage arising from riots, strikes and civil commotion
— Damage arising from flood and windstorms
— Liability of passengers for acts of negligence
— Personal accident benefits for passengers
Additional excess

3. How does the insurer set my premium?
Most insurers in Singapore adopt a “risk factor rating system” when setting your premium. This means that the premium is based on factors other than the vehicle’s value or the price you paid for it.

In general, the following risk factors are considered when setting your premium:

• Make and model of vehicle
• Engine capacity
• Age of vehicle
• Age, sex and occupation of drivers
• Driving experience of drivers
• Claims history of drivers
• What vehicle will be used for (private use/corporate use/commercial use/hire etc)
• Type of cover

These risk factors will not necessarily have an equal influence on the size of your premium. Your insurer will give each risk factor a weighting based on a range of statistics and past claims information.

4. What does my insurer need to know about me?
The insurer needs to know some information about you. This is to help it assess the business accepted from you and your needs as a policyholder. The proper premium can then be set.

It is important to answer these questions truthfully. Failure to do so may affect the level of payout you receive in the event that you make a claim. The following are some questions you may be asked:

• Have you made any recent claims?
• Have you ever received a ticket or been charged for a driving offence?
• Has your vehicle been modified?
• Who will be driving the vehicle?
• What will the vehicle be used for?
• Have you had any recent motor accidents?
• How long have you been driving?
• Do you have any medical conditions or disabilities that may affect your driving?

If you do not understand what is being asked, please clarify with your insurer, agent or broker.

5. What is the insurer recommended to disclose to me when I buy an insurance policy?

• The premium payable
• The excess (for insured and drivers – named and unnamed)
• The scope and period of coverage
• Restriction on drivers (if any)
• Restriction on repairs
• Non-standard exclusions
• Special accident reporting and claims procedures
• The insurer’s cancellation and refund policy

The General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) recommends that l your insurer provide a one-page summary of key contract terms and obligations with your policy. Please make a point of requesting this if your insurer has not provided it.

It is important to read your policy as soon as you receive it. This way you can be sure there are no surprises should you need to make a claim.

6. What is a No-Claim Discount (NCD)?
If you have not made a claim for a year or more, you are entitled to a No-Claim Discount (NCD). The NCD reduces the premium for the following year. This is your insurer’s way of recognising you for having been a careful driver. The following table shows how the NCD is set by all insurers across the industry.

Private car policies
Period of insurance with no claim	Discount on renewal
1 year	10%
2 years	20%
3 years	30%
4 years	40%
5 years or longer	50%

 

Commercial vehicle and motorcycle policies
Period of insurance with no claim	Discount on renewal
1 year	10%
2 years	15%
3 years or longer	20%

a) If I make a claim, will I automatically lose my NCD?
Not necessarily.

All insurers in Singapore use a guide called the Barometer of Liability Agreement (BOLA) to determine how much each party is liable in an accident.

The BOLA is designed to speed up claims processing. It does not diminish your right to contest liability under the law.

Under the BOLA, your NCD will not be affected if your liability is 20% or less in an accident involving an identified vehicle. In all other cases, your NCD may be affected.

b) Does my NCD apply to me, or to my vehicle?
In principle, your NCD applies to you and not to your vehicle. For example, if you sell your vehicle and buy another one, you will retain your NCD. However, if you own more than one vehicle, you might have a different NCD for each vehicle. You should check the details with your insurer, but generally:

Your NCD can:

Be transferred to another vehicle you own, but it cannot be applied to more than one vehicle at any point in time. For example, if you have accumulated a 30% NCD while using one vehicle, it does not follow that the same NCD applies to any other vehicle that you own or decide to buy. In other words, you will have to earn the NCD for each vehicle separately.

Your NCD cannot:

Be transferred to another person.

7. Can I insure against the loss of my NCD?
If you have accumulated a 50% NCD (five years or longer without a claim), some insurers may allow you to buy protection against the loss of the discount.

By paying a small amount of extra premium, you can make one claim during the year, and still have the discount fully protected. The 50% NCD is protected as follows:

Private car policies	Commercial vehicle and motorcycle policies
1	50%
2	20%
3 or more	Nil

Please check with your insurer whether NCD protection cover is available.

8. Will I lose my NCD if there is a break in ownership of my vehicle?
Most insurers in Singapore will allow you to keep your NCD should there be a break in ownership for up to 24 months. Some insurers set the timeframe at 12 months. You should contact your insurer for details.

9. Do I get a refund if I cancel my policy?
The common practice is that both you and your insurer can cancel your policy for any reason by giving seven days of written notice to the other party. If your insurer cancels the policy, it will refund you the unused proportion of the premium.

Some insurers refund the premium on a pro-rata basis with the deduction of a small administration fee. Others use a method that calculates what would have been charged if your policy were a short-term policy. This usually applies if the cancellation is at your request. Please check with your insurer how this is calculated.

Note that refunds might be subject to a minimum amount, and that your insurer might reserve the right not to refund any premium if a claim has been made on the policy.

Always check carefully and understand what is covered before you take up a policy.

10. How can safe driving save me even more money?
If you have not violated any traffic rules for three consecutive years, you are entitled to a Certificate of Merit from the Singapore Traffic Police.

Should your NCD be 30% and above for a private car policy or 20% for a privately owned commercial vehicle policy, some insurers may reward you with a further 5% discount upon presentation of your Certificate of Merit.

What is the Work Injury Compensation Act?
The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) provides injured employees with a low-cost and expeditious alternative to common law to settle compensation claims.

To claim under WICA, the employee only needs to prove that he was injured in a work accident or suffered a disease due to his work. Engaging a lawyer is not required to file a WICA claim. Under WICA, the employer (or employer’s insurer) is liable to pay the compensation regardless of who caused the accident/disease, and even after the employment has ceased or the Work Pass (of a foreign worker) has been cancelled. The amount of compensation is computed based on a fixed formula and is subject to caps. Dependants of deceased employees are also eligible to claim Work Injury Compensation.

Alternatively, the employee can file a civil suit against the negligent party under common law for damages. However, to succeed, he and his lawyer will need to prove that the employer or a third party had caused his injury. He will also need to substantiate the amount of damages before the Courts, and damages are not capped.

An injured employee can claim from either WICA or common law, but not from both.