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Guides and explainers from our verified advisors. Understand what you're buying — then ask our assistant about specific products.
Reviewing your CI cover after a diagnosis in the family
A critical illness diagnosis in the family changes what you should check about your own cover and everyone else's. Here is what to review, and in what order.
Chitra Raj
Heart attack definitions: why "of specified severity" matters at claim time
A critical illness plan does not pay out for any heart attack. It pays for one that meets a precise clinical definition. Here is what that definition usually requires.
Marcus
Critical illness cover for women: the conditions that matter most
Standard critical illness definitions cover the same conditions regardless of gender, but how women actually claim differs. Here is what to check in a policy.
Chitra
Term CI vs whole-life CI: matching the plan to the working years
A critical illness plan can run for a fixed term or for life, and the choice changes both the premium and what happens after you retire. Here is how to match it to your working years.
Marcus
CI as a rider vs a standalone policy
Critical illness cover can be bolted onto a life policy or bought on its own. The choice affects cost, flexibility and what happens if the base policy ends.
Chitra
Survival periods and waiting periods in CI policies
A critical illness claim can be refused even after a genuine diagnosis if it falls inside a waiting period, or if the insured does not survive the survival period. Here is what each term means.
Marcus
Cancer-only plans: cheaper cover for the most common claim
Cancer accounts for the largest share of critical illness claims in Singapore. A cancer-only plan trades broader protection for a lower premium against the risk you are most likely to face.
Chitra
Critical illness vs medical insurance: they solve different problems
Medical insurance pays hospital bills. Critical illness insurance pays you a lump sum to live on. Confusing the two is one of the more common protection gaps in Singapore.
Marcus
How much critical illness cover do you need? The income-years method
A lump sum critical illness payout is meant to replace lost income during treatment and recovery, not just pay medical bills. Here is a simple way to size it.
Chitra
Multi-pay critical illness plans: claiming more than once
A standard critical illness policy pays once and ends. Multi-pay plans are built to pay again for a later, unrelated diagnosis. Here is how that structure actually works.
Marcus
Early-stage vs late-stage critical illness cover
Standard critical illness cover pays on a severe-stage diagnosis. Early-stage cover pays sooner, for less, and on a different set of definitions. Here is how the two fit together.
Chitra
Critical illness cover: the LIA's standard definitions for 37 conditions
Every insurer's critical illness plan pays out against a shared set of 37 severe-stage definitions. Knowing what they cover, and what they leave out, changes how you compare plans.
Marcus
Tiq 3 Plus Critical Illness explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Tiq 3 Plus is a yearly renewable plan covering the three most-claimed critical illnesses plus two others, with no medical exam at renewal up to age 85. Here is how its cover and limits actually work.
Marcus
Critical Illness Plus explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
FWD's multi-pay critical illness plan covers cancer at all stages plus dozens of late-stage conditions. Here is what the published material states, and what to verify.
Chitra
Essential Critical Illness II explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Singlife's Essential Critical Illness II is built around a short application that can accept pre-existing conditions. Here is what is published about it, and what is not.
Marcus
Multipay Critical Illness II explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Singlife's Multipay Critical Illness II covers 135 conditions across three stages, with total claims of up to 900% of the sum assured. Here is what that structure means in practice.
Chitra
Comprehensive Critical Illness II explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Singlife's Comprehensive Critical Illness II pays a single lump sum across 135 conditions. Here is what the plan covers, what it doesn't publish, and what to check.
Marcus
PRUActive Crisis Guard explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Prudential's PRUActive Crisis Guard is positioned as cover for serious health crises. Its public product page leaves most of the specifics for the brochure to fill in.
Chitra
PRUEarly Stage Crisis Cover explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Prudential's PRUEarly Stage Crisis Cover pays out from the early stages of selected critical illnesses, rather than waiting for a late-stage diagnosis. Here is what is published, and what to ask for directly.
Marcus
PRUCancer 360 explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Prudential's PRUCancer 360 is a cancer-only, multi-stage critical illness plan. Here is what its product page confirms, what it leaves unpublished, and what to check.
Chitra
PRUActive Protect explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
PRUActive Protect is Prudential's customisable critical illness plan built around recurring early-stage claims. Here is what the insurer's own material says, and what to check further.
Marcus