Medical insurance for Work Permit and S Pass holders that holds up when hospital bills happen, not just on paper
What employers expect FWMI to do
Most employers don’t buy FWMI to optimise benefits.
They buy it to stay compliant and avoid hospital bills becoming a business problem.
FWMI is mandatory for employers hiring Work Permit or S Pass holders.
Without valid FWMI details lodged with MOM, work passes cannot be issued or renewed. But compliance alone is not the real risk.
A poorly structured FWMI policy can still expose the business to unexpected hospital bills, co-payments, delays, and disputes.
In practice, FWMI functions as:
-
a regulatory requirement, and
-
a control to prevent medical incidents from becoming HR or cash-flow problems.
Treating it as a “tick-the-box” purchase is where most issues begin.
The minimum requirement is S$60,000 per worker per year.
What matters is not the number, but how that number behaves during a real hospital admission.
Key differences that affect outcomes:
-
whether the limit is clean annual or fragmented by sub-limits
-
how inpatient and day surgery are defined
-
what diagnostics and follow-up treatments are included
-
when employer co-payment applies (25% above S$15,000)
Two FWMI policies with the same headline limit can produce very different results when a large bill occurs.
FWMI and WIC are often confused, but they respond to completely different situations.
-
FWMI covers non-work-related illnesses or injuries
-
WIC covers work-related accidents or occupational diseases
Submitting a work injury under FWMI, or a non-work illness under WIC, almost always leads to rejection.
The result is usually:
-
delayed treatment
-
duplicate paperwork
-
out-of-pocket payments
-
escalation when timelines or compliance are questioned
Clear internal rules on which policy applies are essential.
Most claim issues do not come from bad policies or insurers.
They come from what happens around the claim.
Common breakdowns include:
-
submitting under the wrong policy
-
missing or incorrect documents
-
misunderstanding standard exclusions
-
unclear handover between HR, hospital, and insurer
-
outdated or incorrect FWMI records with MOM
FWMI works best when there is a simple, repeatable process for HR to follow, especially under pressure.
If you are reviewing your insurance structure, we are available for a conversation.
No obligation. Just clarity.