What if I have a stroke?
What if I have a stroke in Singapore: $1,127 – $19,493 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 8.8 days.
Stroke and cerebrovascular events requiring emergency treatment and rehabilitation.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $1,127 – $19,493
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $905 – $20,904
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $3,490 – $50,147
- Private (Single room): $7,369 – $75,662
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Stroke (catastrophic): $2,800 – $7,445 (Ward C)
- Stroke (severe): $1,748 – $3,887 (Ward C)
- Stroke (without major complications): $1,408 – $3,021 (Ward C)
- TIA / mini-stroke: $1,127 – $2,853 (Ward C)
- Intracranial clot removal (thrombectomy): $10,174 – $19,493 (Ward C)
- Carotid endarterectomy (prevention): $4,486 – $11,110 (Ward C)
- Cerebral angiography: $1,911 – $6,569 (Ward C)
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What if I have a stroke?
7:23 AM
You reach for your toothbrush. Your right arm won't cooperate. The mirror shows one side of your face has dropped.
You try to call out. The words come out wrong.
You try to call out. The words come out wrong.
Someone calls 995. Every minute without treatment, roughly 1.9 million brain cells die.
4.5
hours — the window for clot-busting treatment to work
A&E. A CT scan. The team moves fast.
If it's a clot, they'll try to dissolve it or retrieve it. If it's a bleed, the approach is different.
If it's a clot, they'll try to dissolve it or retrieve it. If it's a bleed, the approach is different.
Ischaemic strokes may be treated with thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy. Haemorrhagic strokes may require surgery to relieve pressure.
Stroke is Singapore's fourth leading cause of death and a major cause of long-term disability
Rehabilitation starts in the ward. Speech. Movement. Weeks of relearning ordinary things.
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
Stroke (catastrophic)
$2,800 – $7,445
Ward C
Ward C$2,800 – $7,445
Ward B2$2,816 – $8,252
Ward B1$8,585 – $24,460
Private$26,730 – $75,662
Stroke (severe)
$1,748 – $3,887
Ward C
Ward C$1,748 – $3,887
Ward B2$1,846 – $4,439
Ward B1$5,150 – $14,129
Private$14,098 – $35,030
Stroke (without major complications)
$1,408 – $3,021
Ward C
Ward C$1,408 – $3,021
Ward B2$1,462 – $3,085
Ward B1$3,851 – $7,718
Private$8,827 – $22,439
TIA / mini-stroke
$1,127 – $2,853
Ward C
Ward C$1,127 – $2,853
Ward B2$1,105 – $2,788
Ward B1$3,490 – $5,812
Private$7,369 – $15,739
Intracranial clot removal (thrombectomy)
$10,174 – $19,493
Ward C
Ward C$10,174 – $19,493
Ward B2$10,633 – $20,904
Ward B1$28,314 – $50,147
Carotid endarterectomy (prevention)
$4,486 – $11,110
Ward C
Ward C$4,486 – $11,110
Cerebral angiography
$1,911 – $6,569
Ward C
Ward C$1,911 – $6,569
Ward B2$905 – $3,825
Private$14,115 – $45,544
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
$19,493
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~11 months
of HDB mortgage
~63%
of avg Medisave
~3.9 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
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
$1,127 – $19,493
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$905 – $20,904
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$3,490 – $50,147
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$7,369 – $75,662
up to 4x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$1,127 – $19,493
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.