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Hospital Bills for Heart Failure Can Easily Cross Five Figures

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Hospital bills for heart failure can easily cross five figures, but the real story starts much earlier—with everyday risk factors that quietly weaken the heart over time.

  

How Common Are the Risks?

Singapore’s latest national health data shows that cardiovascular disease already accounts for about one-third of all deaths, with heart attacks and strokes leading the pack. The conditions that push people towards these events are widespread according to the Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease landscape in Singapore:

  • Hypertension: Roughly 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure, as noted in MOH reports.
  • Hyperlipidaemia: About 1 in 3 has high total cholesterol, based on Health Promotion Board data.
  • Diabetes: Affects around 9% of adults.
  • Obesity: Rising to affect about 12–13% of residents, nearly doubling among younger adults aged 18–29, as reported by National Population Health Survey (NPHS).

Specialists from the National Heart Centre Singapore note that many people carry more than one of these “three highs,” often alongside smoking and sedentary lifestyles, compounding their long-term risk of heart attacks and heart failure. Over years, uncontrolled blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol damage blood vessels and heart muscle, making hospitalisation far more likely.

What a Severe Heart-Failure Admission Can Cost

When heart failure becomes serious enough to require an inpatient stay for heart failure and shock with major complications (DRG F62A), costs diverge sharply depending on where and how you are treated. All figures are based on Ministry of Health (MOH) hospital bill benchmarks.

  

Overall Hospital Bill: Public vs Private

Setting Ward Type Typical Bill Typical Bill Range
Public Hospitals Ward B2 $2,373 $1,484 - $3,633
Public Hospitals Ward C $1,936 $1,240 - $3,113
Public Hospitals Ward A $9,080 $6,235 - $13,099
Public Hospitals Ward B1 $6,718 $4,250 - $10,402
Private Hospitals Inpatient $25,544 $15,242 - $58,701

These are median bills, half of patients pay less and half pay more, so a complicated case or longer ICU stay can easily land above the “typical” range.

Public Hospital Bills (Subsidised Wards)

Subsidised B2 and C wards keep costs far lower, especially when combined with government subsidies and mandatory insurance.

Ward C (Subsidised)

Hospital Ward Type Average Stay (days) Typical Bill Typical Bill Range
Alexandra Hospital Ward C 10.1 $1,823 $1,164 - $3,032
Changi General Hospital Ward C 8.5 $2,373 $1,680 - $3,530
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Ward C 10.3 $2,153 $1,515 - $3,343
National Heart Centre Ward C 8.0 $2,342 $1,621 - $3,490
National University Hospital Ward C 7.4 $1,577 $1,028 - $2,687
Ng Teng Fong General Hospital Ward C 6.3 $1,330 $860 - $2,252
Sengkang General Hospital Ward C 9.8 $2,423 $1,717 - $3,499
Singapore General Hospital Ward C 10.3 $2,371 $1,555 - $4,080
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Ward C 11.0 $2,008 $1,381 - $3,086

Ward B2 (Subsidised)

Hospital Ward Type Average Stay (days) Typical Bill Typical Bill Range
Changi General Hospital Ward B2 8.6 $2,576 $1,909 - $3,469
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Ward B2 12.5 $2,688 $1,779 - $3,637
National Heart Centre Ward B2 7.9 $2,688 $1,805 - $3,991
National University Hospital Ward B2 7.3 $1,793 $1,061 - $3,121
Sengkang General Hospital Ward B2 6.6 $2,468 $1,578 - $4,407
Singapore General Hospital Ward B2 9.6 $2,894 $1,996 - $5,613
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Ward B2 10.3 $2,298 $1,474 - $3,629

Public Hospital Bills (Unsubsidised Wards)

If you prefer more privacy and amenities, costs rise quickly.

Wards A and B1 (Unsubsidised)

Hospital Ward Type Average Stay (days) Typical Bill Typical Bill Range
National University Hospital Ward A 7.1 $8,696 $5,752 - $15,571
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Ward A 9.3 $9,910 $8,261 - $11,603
Changi General Hospital Ward B1 9.3 $5,992 $4,284 - $9,702
National Heart Centre Ward B1 9.2 $9,399 $6,102 - $15,505
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Ward B1 7.6 $6,267 $3,600 - $8,902

  

How Insurance Fits In, and What’s Changing in 2026

For patients in B2/C wards, the combination of subsidies and MediShield Life typically covers a substantial portion of bills, though there are deductibles and co-insurance to pay. Choosing A/B1 wards or private hospitals often requires topping up with Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) and optional riders to keep out-of-pocket costs manageable. An overview of Singapore’s health financing and MediShield Life provides more context on these schemes.

However, from 2026, newly issued IP riders will follow tighter rules aimed at curbing over-consumption and rising premiums. According to Rajah & Tann Asia, new riders will no longer be able to completely remove deductibles, minimum co-payments will be higher, and annual out-of-pocket caps will rise. While these changes may lead to lower rider premiums, new plans will not offer the "zero-co-pay" coverage common in the past.

The Bottom Line

With major heart-risk conditions affecting a large share of the population, it is crucial to both manage health proactively and choose a level of hospital coverage that remains affordable decades into the future.

Sources

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