Underwriting
What Expats in Singapore Need to Know
Discover how underwriting works in health insurance and why it matters for expats.
What is Underwriting?
Underwriting is the process your insurance company uses to assess your health risk before offering you a policy. The goal is to decide:
What coverage they can offer you
Whether any conditions should have exclusions or loadings
What premium you’ll pay
For expats in Singapore, underwriting helps insurers balance fair pricing with protecting their risk. It’s also key to making sure you’re offered a plan that suits your health profile.
How Does Underwriting Work?
You complete a medical questionnaire: This includes details about your health history, medications, and past treatments.
The insurer reviews your application: They may request additional medical reports or tests.
They make a decision:
Approve standard coverage
Approve with exclusions (certain conditions not covered)
Approve with loading (higher premium for specific risks)
Decline the application (in rare cases of very high risk)
💡 Tip: Full honesty in your application is critical. Non-disclosure of medical conditions can lead to denied claims or cancelled policies later.
Types of Underwriting
Full medical underwriting: The insurer assesses your health upfront and sets terms before the policy starts.
Moratorium underwriting: Pre-existing conditions are excluded at first but may be covered later if you remain symptom-free for a set period (e.g. 2 years).
Risks and Considerations
Delays: Underwriting can take time, especially if medical records are required.
Coverage limits: Some conditions may not be covered or may come with additional cost.
Plan differences: Not all insurers handle underwriting the same way — a broker can help you compare.
Benefits and Key Takeaways
Fair pricing: Underwriting helps ensure premiums reflect real health risks.
Access to cover: Some conditions may still be covered with loadings rather than full exclusions.
