Many have asked – why not go the public route? Wouldn’t it cheaper?
The short answer is yes, especially since you don’t have to pay for doctor fees when you deliver in a public hospital.
But we decided against it because after seeing our friends’ experiences (NUH, KKH and SGH), we felt that the longer waiting time and the fact that you won’t get a dedicated gynae to see you through your pregnancy was not what we wanted.
Childbirth is already one of the hardest and most painful experiences for a woman. If money can help to make the journey more comfortable and ease that pain or stress, then we felt that it is worth paying for.
Even though we’re more experienced this time round – it being our second child – my husband and I still opted to go the private route for the following reasons:
- shorter waiting time during each OBGYN consult
- ability to choose our doctors
- greater comfort
The first two factors were the most significant. Being pregnant in a year of mass layoffs meant that I was doing the work of 3 people in my company, so even with an MC, it wouldn’t have made a difference because I was already working overtime so often.
Which was why going with a gynae near our house that allowed us to be done with each monthly / bi-weekly consult within 1.5 hours was a game-changer. If this is your first pregnancy, I highly recommend this as well, because it made a lot of difference compared to my first pregnancy where our gynae’s clinic was located at the other end of the island.
The public route may be cheaper, but you will likely end up paying more in terms of your time and won’t get a dedicated gynae who will see you throughout your pregnancy – which was why we didn’t even consider this. However, if you need to save, then going via NUH, KKH or SGH could be a lower-cost option.
How much did we pay for TMC?
As we were worried about COVID19, we wanted a hospital that didn’t handle general cases so that there wouldn’t be a chance of catching it during our stay.
Only TMC fit this bill; not that we minded anyway, given how the quality of care we experienced at TMC the last round with our firstborn was exceptionally memorable – so much so that I still even remember the names of the nurses who were in the delivery ward with me even though 3 years have passed.
After deducting from MediSave, our out-of-pocket cash expenses amounted to ~$7,000. (In 2018, this was $6,000). On hindsight, I wish hadn’t opted for so many medications, as I didn’t end up finishing them anyway. Based on the itemised bill that TMC sent us, that decision could have lowered our bill by another ~$500.
You can view the latest rates and packages for TMC here.
Of course, if you’re wondering how the bills among the private hospitals stack up, here’s more details to help you make a decision.
Actual Hospital Delivery Bills (June – July 2021):
Thomson Medical vs. Mount Alvernia vs. Mount Elizabeth
I managed to gather the actual hospital bills across TMC vs. Mount. A vs. Mount. E as I had fellow mama friends who delivered close to my date (2 – 3 weeks before/after), so here’s how they compare.
Do take note of the following:
- The bills are for normal delivery (not C-section)
- The cheapest total bill is for a (super brave) mama who delivered without epidural
- My bill is slightly skewed (medications), as I requested for more painkillers and domperidone
- Doctor fees vary significantly, as you will notice especially in the last 3 columns
A huge thank you to Mel, Hyun Jin, Kaiting, Shiyun and Sui Kim for sharing your bills for the purpose of this article.
Do note that your choice of doctors (OBGYN, anaesthetist and PD) will largely determine whether your final bill paid to the hospital is on the higher or lower end, as the hospital collects the fees on the doctors’ behalf. This is why online estimates from other people who share their bill total isn’t a good gauge, because even the cheapest hospital package can end up being the highest bill if the doctors’ charges are on the higher side.
In general (based on these bills), you may want to set aside about $7k – $10k in cash if you intend to go the private route.
To save more, sign up for the hospital’s membership programme (if they have one) such as the FBI/SBI Initiative in TMC. Of course, don’t forget to use a credit card that will allow you to earn cashback / miles for hospital payments as well!
I hope these numbers help you to better make a decision on which hospital to deliver in 🙂 have a smooth delivery!
With love,
Budget Babe
