What if I break my wrist or arm?
What if I break my wrist or arm in Singapore: $837 – $10,259 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 3.5 days.
Wrist, forearm, or upper arm fractures requiring casting or surgical fixation.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $837 – $10,259
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $881 – $7,303
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $2,244 – $15,016
- Private (Single room): $2,263 – $43,719
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Forearm / wrist injury (medical): $904 – $2,502 (Ward C)
- Distal radius fracture ORIF: $3,346 – $5,544 (Ward C)
- Radius/ulna fracture ORIF: $2,155 – $4,934 (Ward C)
- Humerus fracture fixation: $3,597 – $10,259 (Ward C)
- Upper limb manipulation & reduction: $837 – $1,903 (Ward C)
- Distal radius fracture ORIF (simple pinning): $2,731 – $4,811 (Ward C)
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What if I break my wrist or arm?
6:35 PM
You put your hand out to catch yourself. A crack. An instant ache that becomes a burn.
Your wrist is sitting at a wrong angle.
Your wrist is sitting at a wrong angle.
A friend takes you to A&E. X-rays. A doctor straightens the bone under sedation.
6
weeks in a cast for a simple fracture
A clean break gets a cast. A bad break gets surgery — metal plates and screws to hold the bone.
Complex fractures may require open reduction and internal fixation, where a surgeon sets the bone and secures it with hardware.
Wrist fractures are among the most common fractures treated at Singapore A&E departments
You learn to do everything left-handed for a while.
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
Forearm / wrist injury (medical)
$904 – $2,502
Ward C
Ward C$904 – $2,502
Ward B2$881 – $2,660
Ward B1$2,244 – $6,589
Private$3,408 – $8,545
Distal radius fracture ORIF
$3,346 – $5,544
Ward C
Ward C$3,346 – $5,544
Ward B2$2,481 – $5,237
Private$18,882 – $30,811
Radius/ulna fracture ORIF
$2,155 – $4,934
Ward C
Ward C$2,155 – $4,934
Ward B2$2,260 – $4,290
Ward B1$9,092 – $14,095
Private$12,482 – $30,963
Humerus fracture fixation
$3,597 – $10,259
Ward C
Ward C$3,597 – $10,259
Ward B2$3,946 – $7,303
Ward B1$7,549 – $15,016
Private$13,861 – $43,719
Upper limb manipulation & reduction
$837 – $1,903
Ward C
Ward C$837 – $1,903
Ward B2$1,375 – $4,873
Private$2,263 – $8,586
Distal radius fracture ORIF (simple pinning)
$2,731 – $4,811
Ward C
Ward C$2,731 – $4,811
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
$10,259
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~6 months
of HDB mortgage
~33%
of avg Medisave
~2.1 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
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
$837 – $10,259
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$881 – $7,303
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$2,244 – $15,016
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$2,263 – $43,719
up to 4x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$837 – $10,259
No insurance. You pay the full bill out of pocket or Medisave.
Good to know
Average Medisave balance ($31,000) covers this 3x 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.
PhysiotherapyMobility aidsPain medicationOccupational therapyFollow-up X-rays
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
Check your fall risk
Most fractures in Singapore happen from falls. Remove tripping hazards at home, especially for elderly family members.
2
Budget for physiotherapy
Recovery from bone and joint surgery typically requires 2-4 months of regular physio sessions at $50-$150 each.
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.