What if I need ear surgery?
What if I need ear surgery in Singapore: $633 – $22,995 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 1.1 days.
Ear surgery including grommets, tympanoplasty, cochlear implant, and middle ear reconstruction.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $633 – $22,995
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $1,027 – $20,910
- Private (Single room): $1,491 – $93,269
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Grommets (myringotomy with tubes, bilateral): $633 – $2,387 (Ward C)
- Myringotomy (single ear, with tube):
- Eardrum repair (myringoplasty): $1,027 – $2,091 (Ward B2)
- Cochlear implant: $9,928 – $22,995 (Ward C)
- Stapedectomy: $1,340 – $2,703 (Ward B2)
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What if I need ear surgery?
10:30 AM
You've been half-deaf in one ear for months. An ENT specialist looks inside with a scope.
Her expression changes.
Her expression changes.
A cholesteatoma, a perforated eardrum, or chronic infection — the cause matters for what comes next.
30
percent of perforated eardrums don't heal on their own
Surgery under general anaesthetic to repair or clean out the problem. One to two nights in hospital.
Tympanoplasty repairs a damaged eardrum using a graft. Mastoidectomy removes diseased tissue behind the ear. Some patients need both in a single procedure.
Untreated ear disease can permanently damage hearing — and in rare cases, spread to nearby structures
Weeks of careful wound care. No swimming for months.
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
Grommets (myringotomy with tubes, bilateral)
$633 – $2,387
Ward C
Ward C$633 – $2,387
Private$7,770 – $10,246
Myringotomy (single ear, with tube)
$1,491 – $3,080
Private
Private$1,491 – $3,080
Eardrum repair (myringoplasty)
$1,027 – $2,091
Ward B2
Ward B2$1,027 – $2,091
Private$16,568 – $19,014
Cochlear implant
$9,928 – $22,995
Ward C
Ward C$9,928 – $22,995
Ward B2$8,895 – $20,910
Private$78,343 – $93,269
Stapedectomy
$1,340 – $2,703
Ward B2
Ward B2$1,340 – $2,703
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
$22,995
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~13 months
of HDB mortgage
~74%
of avg Medisave
~4.6 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
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
$633 – $22,995
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$1,027 – $20,910
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$1,491 – $93,269
up to 4x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$633 – $22,995
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.
Wound carePhysiotherapyPain managementFollow-up imagingSpecialist reviews
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
Get a second opinion
For elective surgery, a second opinion costs $100-$300 and can save you thousands if an alternative approach exists.
2
Ask about day surgery
Many procedures that used to require overnight stays are now done as day surgery, significantly reducing the bill.
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.