What if I get leukaemia or lymphoma?
What if I get leukaemia or lymphoma in Singapore: $203 – $30,446 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 6.8 days.
Blood cancer treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and bone marrow procedures.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $203 – $30,446
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $216 – $35,172
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $1,143 – $28,065
- Private (Single room): $1,490 – $147,057
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Acute leukaemia: $1,507 – $30,446 (Ward C)
- Lymphoma / non-acute leukaemia: $203 – $12,246 (Ward C)
- Other neoplastic disorders: $693 – $5,427 (Ward C)
- Bone marrow aspiration: $1,903 – $5,376 (Ward C)
- Lymph node biopsy: $546 – $7,902 (Ward C)
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What if I get leukaemia or lymphoma?
5:30 PM
Fatigue for weeks. Night sweats. Swollen lymph node under your arm you've been ignoring.
Your GP orders a blood test and calls you back the same day.
Your GP orders a blood test and calls you back the same day.
Admitted immediately. A bone marrow biopsy under local anaesthetic. Everything moves fast.
24
hours from blood test to hospital admission
Intensive chemotherapy. Possibly radiotherapy. Sometimes a bone marrow transplant.
Depending on type — acute leukaemia treated aggressively with induction chemo; lymphoma with chemo plus radiotherapy; some cases need stem cell transplant.
Blood cancers can progress quickly — early detection matters most
Months in and out of hospital. Hair loss. Then remission.
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
Acute leukaemia
$1,507 – $30,446
Ward C
Ward C$1,507 – $30,446
Ward B2$995 – $35,172
Private$6,413 – $147,057
Lymphoma / non-acute leukaemia
$203 – $12,246
Ward C
Ward C$203 – $12,246
Ward B2$216 – $10,646
Ward B1$2,461 – $28,065
Private$6,226 – $48,827
Other neoplastic disorders
$693 – $5,427
Ward C
Ward C$693 – $5,427
Ward B2$425 – $4,780
Private$3,586 – $7,217
Bone marrow aspiration
$1,903 – $5,376
Ward C
Ward C$1,903 – $5,376
Ward B2$2,022 – $6,305
Ward B1$9,050 – $20,902
Private$8,751 – $30,964
Lymph node biopsy
$546 – $7,902
Ward C
Ward C$546 – $7,902
Ward B2$675 – $9,593
Ward B1$1,143 – $2,669
Private$1,490 – $17,531
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
$30,446
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~17 months
of HDB mortgage
~98%
of avg Medisave
~6.1 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
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What does this mean for you?
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$
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
$203 – $30,446
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$216 – $35,172
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$1,143 – $28,065
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$1,490 – $147,057
up to 5x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$203 – $30,446
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.