Singapore policyholders face an uphill battle when contesting health insurance claims, with recent parliamentary data revealing that insurers prevail in 96% of cases.
During an oral reply in Parliament on 4 February 2026, Minister of State Alvin Tan disclosed the latest figures from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), highlighting the stark imbalance in dispute outcomes between insurers and policyholders. The information followed a query by Dr Hamid Razak, Member of Parliament for West Coast–Jurong West GRC.
Tan noted that MAS had previously provided similar updates in November 2025. According to the Minister, between 2022 and 2024, the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) handled an average of 246 mediation and adjudication cases per year, covering disputes over insurance claim liability and payout amounts. Of these, roughly 95 cases annually involved health insurance claims specifically.
Independent assessors at FIDReC ruled in favour of policyholders in only 4% of health insurance disputes over the three-year period. This indicates that policyholders succeeded in obtaining full or partial claim payouts in merely a small fraction of cases, leaving the vast majority resolved in favour of insurers.
The table below summarises the key figures for 2022–2024:
| Year | Total FIDReC Cases | Health Insurance Cases | Cases Won by Policyholders | Success Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 250 | 98 | 4 | 4.1 |
| 2023 | 240 | 92 | 4 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 248 | 95 | 4 | 4.2 |
| Average | 246 | 95 | 4 | 4.2 |
The low success rate raises concerns about the challenges faced by policyholders in contesting claims, particularly in cases involving complex medical procedures or disputed coverage terms. Analysts suggest that greater transparency in policy wordings and more proactive guidance from insurers could help reduce disputes and improve claim outcomes for customers.
While the figures highlight a clear advantage for insurers, FIDReC continues to provide mediation services to ensure that policyholders have access to independent assessment, even if the odds of success remain slim.