What if I get a brain tumour?
What if I get a brain tumour in Singapore: $1,106 – $21,560 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 6.5 days.
Brain tumour diagnosis and surgical removal via craniotomy.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $1,106 – $21,560
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $1,261 – $19,604
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $3,405 – $42,671
- Private (Single room): $7,421 – $129,341
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Nervous system tumour (medical): $1,106 – $4,387 (Ward C)
- Brain tumour removal (simple craniotomy): $6,168 – $20,464 (Ward C)
- Brain tumour removal (complex craniotomy): $7,231 – $21,560 (Ward C)
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What if I get a brain tumour?
7:22 AM
A headache that kept you up all night. Different from the ones before.
On the MRT to work, your vision blurs for ten seconds.
On the MRT to work, your vision blurs for ten seconds.
A&E. CT scan. Then an MRI. A neurosurgeon reviews the images at 2am.
48
hours from first scan to confirmed diagnosis
Surgery to remove as much of the tumour as safely possible. Radiotherapy after.
Depending on type and location — craniotomy for surgical removal, radiosurgery for small tumours, or medical management if surgery isn't possible.
Brain tumours range from slow-growing (meningioma) to aggressive (glioblastoma)
Weeks of rehab. Re-learning things you used to do without thinking.
Then the bill arrives.
Then the bill arrives.
Treatment breakdown
It depends on the treatment
What they do determines the bill. Tap to see costs by ward class.
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
Nervous system tumour (medical)
$1,106 – $4,387
Ward C
Ward C$1,106 – $4,387
Ward B2$1,261 – $5,081
Ward B1$3,405 – $19,618
Private$7,421 – $47,684
Brain tumour removal (simple craniotomy)
$6,168 – $20,464
Ward C
Ward C$6,168 – $20,464
Ward B2$7,189 – $16,909
Brain tumour removal (complex craniotomy)
$7,231 – $21,560
Ward C
Ward C$7,231 – $21,560
Ward B2$8,041 – $19,604
Ward B1$30,303 – $42,671
Private$81,510 – $129,341
Your hospital bill
$0
Ward C (subsidised) · worst case · after subsidies, before insurance
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
But what does this actually mean for your wallet?
The bottom line
For this scenario, you need at least
$21,560
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~12 months
of HDB mortgage
~70%
of avg Medisave
~4.3 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
Ward class matters
Where you stay changes everything
Same condition. The ward determines the bill.
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
Ward C · Subsidised · 8-9 beds
$1,106 – $21,560
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$1,261 – $19,604
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$3,405 – $42,671
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$7,421 – $129,341
up to 6x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$1,106 – $21,560
No insurance. You pay the full bill out of pocket or Medisave.
Good to know
Average Medisave balance ($31,000) covers this 1x in Ward C
Beyond the hospital bill
These costs are just the hospital stay
After discharge, expect ongoing costs that for many patients exceed the initial bill.
Chemotherapy cyclesOncology follow-upsTargeted medicationRadiation sessionsScreening scans
And these costs keep rising. Healthcare costs are up 12% since 2020, outpacing general inflation.
If the worst happens
When someone dies in Singapore,
banks freeze every account.
Your family can't withdraw a single dollar until the legal process is complete. Most Singaporeans aren't prepared.
56%
of Singaporean adults don't have a will
40%
of under-65s have no CPF nomination
With a will
2-6 months to settle. Funeral, lawyer, and court fees combined.
~S$6,400
No will
6-12+ months to settle. Legal fees alone are S$10K-$20K. Contested estates reach S$93,000+.
S$10K–$93K+
While your family waits, mortgage payments, insurance premiums, and utility bills keep coming out of their own pockets.
What to do now
5 things to check today
1
Ask about screening
Early detection saves lives and money. Ask your GP about age-appropriate cancer screening programmes available in Singapore.
2
Understand your treatment options
Different treatments have very different costs. Ask your oncologist to walk through the options and their bill implications.
3
Check what your insurance actually covers
Log into CPF, go to My Healthcare, check MediShield Life or ISP coverage. Look for your ward class limit and claim caps.
4
Know your Medisave withdrawal limits
Your Medisave balance doesn't mean that amount is available for one bill. There are per-day and per-procedure caps.
5
Write a will and make a CPF nomination
A simple will starts from S$99. CPF nomination is free at cpf.gov.sg. Without these, your family faces months of legal process and S$10K+ in fees.