What if I get glaucoma?
What if I get glaucoma in Singapore: $748 – $15,107 in a private ward, based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 1 days.
Glaucoma treatment including laser therapy, filtering surgery, and drainage implants.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Private (Single room): $748 – $15,107
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
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What if I get glaucoma?
3:30 PM
The eye pressure reading is high. The ophthalmologist pulls up your visual field test.
The damage at the edges of your vision has been there for a while. You just didn't notice.
The damage at the edges of your vision has been there for a while. You just didn't notice.
Glaucoma has no cure. The goal now is stopping it from taking more of your sight.
90%
of vision loss from glaucoma is permanent
Daily eye drops to lower pressure. Laser treatment. Possibly surgery if drops aren't enough.
Trabeculectomy — creating a new drainage channel in the eye — is a common surgical option when medication fails to control pressure.
Glaucoma affects roughly 3% of Singaporeans over 40 and is a leading cause of irreversible blindness
Months of monitoring. Drops every morning and night, for the rest of your life.
Then the bill arrives.
Then the bill arrives.
Your hospital bill
$0
Private · 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
$15,107
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
~8 months
of HDB mortgage
~49%
of avg Medisave
~3 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
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What does this mean for you?
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$
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$748 – $15,107
No insurance. You pay the full bill out of pocket or Medisave.
Beyond the hospital bill
These costs are just the hospital stay
After discharge, expect ongoing costs that for many patients exceed the initial bill.
Eye dropsVision assessmentsSpecialist reviewsCorrective lensesFollow-up 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
Get regular eye exams
After 40, annual eye pressure checks can catch glaucoma early. Diabetics need yearly retinal screening.
2
Check subsidised options
SNEC and public hospital eye centres offer subsidised rates for Singapore citizens in Ward B2 and C.
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.