What if I have a heart attack?
What if I have a heart attack in Singapore: $1,011 – $14,762 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 4.2 days.
Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) requiring emergency treatment, stenting, or bypass surgery.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $1,011 – $14,762
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $1,315 – $15,385
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $6,147 – $41,170
- Private (Single room): $6,212 – $122,421
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Heart attack (medical management): $1,011 – $4,093 (Ward C)
- Emergency PCI (stenting) for heart attack: $4,794 – $9,362 (Ward C)
- Single vessel PCI (stenting): $3,413 – $6,920 (Ward C)
- Multi-vessel PCI: $5,357 – $10,138 (Ward C)
- Complex PCI (left main / CTO): $4,519 – $8,539 (Ward C)
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG): $6,763 – $14,762 (Ward C)
- Coronary angiography (diagnosis): $1,660 – $5,237 (Ward C)
- Cardiac catheterisation with physiological assessment: $1,866 – $4,021 (Ward C)
- Intravascular imaging (IVUS/OCT) without PTCA: $3,844 – $6,259 (Ward C)
- Cardiac catheterisation (left & right): $2,357 – $4,637 (Ward C)
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What if I have a heart attack?
3:47 AM
Tightness in your chest. Spreading to your left arm.
This isn't indigestion.
This isn't indigestion.
You call 995. The operator talks you through it.
11
minutes until the ambulance arrives
A&E. Tests. Monitors.
A doctor explains what's happening.
A doctor explains what's happening.
Depending on severity — medication, a stent to open the blocked artery, or bypass surgery.
Heart disease: Singapore's #3 cause of death
Days pass. You recover.
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
Heart attack (medical management)
$1,011 – $4,093
Ward C
Ward C$1,011 – $4,093
Ward B2$1,315 – $4,465
Ward B1$6,571 – $15,364
Private$6,212 – $19,230
Emergency PCI (stenting) for heart attack
$4,794 – $9,362
Ward C
Ward C$4,794 – $9,362
Ward B2$5,651 – $11,487
Ward B1$18,412 – $28,416
Private$41,106 – $52,600
Single vessel PCI (stenting)
$3,413 – $6,920
Ward C
Ward C$3,413 – $6,920
Ward B2$3,569 – $7,050
Ward B1$12,731 – $20,514
Private$30,478 – $43,446
Multi-vessel PCI
$5,357 – $10,138
Ward C
Ward C$5,357 – $10,138
Ward B2$5,899 – $11,323
Ward B1$20,209 – $28,126
Private$46,583 – $70,211
Complex PCI (left main / CTO)
$4,519 – $8,539
Ward C
Ward C$4,519 – $8,539
Ward B2$5,017 – $9,986
Ward B1$16,625 – $23,155
Private$37,880 – $55,611
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
$6,763 – $14,762
Ward C
Ward C$6,763 – $14,762
Ward B2$7,485 – $15,385
Ward B1$35,587 – $41,170
Private$100,656 – $122,421
Coronary angiography (diagnosis)
$1,660 – $5,237
Ward C
Ward C$1,660 – $5,237
Ward B2$1,895 – $3,817
Ward B1$6,147 – $9,880
Private$6,628 – $21,711
Cardiac catheterisation with physiological assessment
$1,866 – $4,021
Ward C
Ward C$1,866 – $4,021
Ward B2$2,149 – $4,211
Ward B1$7,544 – $11,724
Private$16,092 – $23,478
Intravascular imaging (IVUS/OCT) without PTCA
$3,844 – $6,259
Ward C
Ward C$3,844 – $6,259
Ward B2$2,781 – $4,812
Private$16,585 – $23,883
Cardiac catheterisation (left & right)
$2,357 – $4,637
Ward C
Ward C$2,357 – $4,637
Ward B2$3,256 – $5,809
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
$14,762
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~8 months
of HDB mortgage
~48%
of avg Medisave
~3 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
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
$1,011 – $14,762
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$1,315 – $15,385
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$6,147 – $41,170
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$6,212 – $122,421
up to 8x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$1,011 – $14,762
No insurance. You pay the full bill out of pocket or Medisave.
Good to know
Average Medisave balance ($31,000) covers this 2x 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.
Cardiac rehabilitationBlood thinnersRegular ECGsLifestyle programmesCardiologist 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
Know your numbers
Blood pressure, cholesterol, resting heart rate. Free health screenings are available at polyclinics under Screen for Life.
2
Ask about cardiac rehab
After a heart event, structured rehab programmes reduce re-admission risk by up to 25%. Most public hospitals offer them.
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.