What if I get liver cancer?
What if I get liver cancer in Singapore: $866 – $14,833 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 4.2 days.
Liver cancer treatment including liver resection, ablation, TACE, and transplant evaluation.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $866 – $14,833
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $783 – $16,338
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $1,998 – $28,954
- Private (Single room): $5,101 – $138,516
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Liver/hepatobiliary cancer (medical): $866 – $4,655 (Ward C)
- Liver biopsy: $911 – $3,511 (Ward C)
- Liver resection / lobectomy: $3,102 – $14,833 (Ward C)
- Liver ablation (RFA/microwave): $2,031 – $4,478 (Ward C)
- TACE (trans-arterial chemo-embolisation): $1,967 – $8,658 (Ward C)
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What if I get liver cancer?
2:55 PM
Dull ache under your right ribs. Fatigue you blamed on work.
The ultrasound shows a mass.
The ultrasound shows a mass.
More imaging. A biopsy. A hepatobiliary specialist who doesn't sugarcoat anything.
3
centimetres — the size of the tumour on your scan
Surgical removal if possible. If not, ablation or TACE to reduce the tumour.
Depending on liver function and tumour size — resection, radiofrequency ablation, TACE (trans-arterial chemoembolisation), or transplant evaluation.
Liver cancer: strongly linked to hepatitis B, which affects 4% of Singaporeans
Weeks of close monitoring. Repeat scans. Slow reassurance.
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
Liver/hepatobiliary cancer (medical)
$866 – $4,655
Ward C
Ward C$866 – $4,655
Ward B2$1,006 – $6,094
Ward B1$2,652 – $14,422
Private$5,558 – $138,516
Liver biopsy
$911 – $3,511
Ward C
Ward C$911 – $3,511
Ward B2$783 – $2,347
Ward B1$1,998 – $4,197
Private$5,101 – $17,994
Liver resection / lobectomy
$3,102 – $14,833
Ward C
Ward C$3,102 – $14,833
Ward B2$3,489 – $16,338
Ward B1$19,849 – $28,954
Liver ablation (RFA/microwave)
$2,031 – $4,478
Ward C
Ward C$2,031 – $4,478
Ward B2$2,380 – $5,105
Private$13,765 – $17,693
TACE (trans-arterial chemo-embolisation)
$1,967 – $8,658
Ward C
Ward C$1,967 – $8,658
Ward B2$1,930 – $9,675
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
$14,833
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~8 months
of HDB mortgage
~48%
of avg Medisave
~3 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
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
$866 – $14,833
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$783 – $16,338
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$1,998 – $28,954
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$5,101 – $138,516
up to 9x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$866 – $14,833
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.
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.