What if I get a head injury?
What if I get a head injury in Singapore: $602 – $24,561 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 8.8 days.
Head trauma, concussion, skull fractures, and intracranial bleeding requiring emergency treatment.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $602 – $24,561
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $585 – $35,188
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $912 – $20,298
- Private (Single room): $3,972 – $14,695
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Intracranial injury (with complications): $1,634 – $5,200 (Ward C)
- Intracranial injury (without complications): $765 – $2,127 (Ward C)
- Skull fracture: $637 – $3,754 (Ward C)
- Other head injury / concussion: $602 – $1,902 (Ward C)
- Emergency craniotomy (bleeding): $2,951 – $24,561 (Ward C)
- Cranioplasty (skull repair): $11,335 – $12,989 (Ward C)
Scroll
What if I get a head injury?
11:22 PM
You remember leaving the party. You don't remember falling.
You wake up on the pavement with a stranger asking if you're okay.
You wake up on the pavement with a stranger asking if you're okay.
Ambulance. A&E. They won't let you sleep until the CT scan is done.
1 in 5
head injury patients have a bleed that isn't visible immediately
CT scan, neurological checks, overnight monitoring. Surgery if there's bleeding.
A subdural or epidural haematoma — bleeding between the brain and skull — requires emergency surgery to relieve pressure. Outcomes depend on how quickly it's caught.
Falls are the leading cause of traumatic head injury in Singapore, especially among the elderly
Weeks of rest and follow-up scans. Memory slowly fills in.
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
Intracranial injury (with complications)
$1,634 – $5,200
Ward C
Ward C$1,634 – $5,200
Ward B2$1,388 – $4,525
Ward B1$6,480 – $20,298
Intracranial injury (without complications)
$765 – $2,127
Ward C
Ward C$765 – $2,127
Ward B2$890 – $2,203
Ward B1$2,138 – $5,073
Private$6,542 – $14,695
Skull fracture
$637 – $3,754
Ward C
Ward C$637 – $3,754
Ward B2$585 – $3,903
Ward B1$1,382 – $4,325
Private$5,348 – $11,678
Other head injury / concussion
$602 – $1,902
Ward C
Ward C$602 – $1,902
Ward B2$763 – $2,070
Ward B1$912 – $1,800
Private$3,972 – $11,474
Emergency craniotomy (bleeding)
$2,951 – $24,561
Ward C
Ward C$2,951 – $24,561
Ward B2$2,751 – $35,188
Ward B1$8,640 – $18,129
Cranioplasty (skull repair)
$11,335 – $12,989
Ward C
Ward C$11,335 – $12,989
Ward B2$11,376 – $14,215
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
$24,561
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
~14 months
of HDB mortgage
~79%
of avg Medisave
~4.9 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?
Enter your details for personalised insights. Nothing is stored or sent.
$
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
$602 – $24,561
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$585 – $35,188
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$912 – $20,298
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$3,972 – $14,695
up to 1x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$602 – $24,561
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.