Introduction
Costs and insurance hub · Dr Sean Leo
Costs, insurance and MediSave in Singapore: how orthopaedic fees work
Dr Sean Leo · Orthopaedic Surgeon (Specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery)
Figures checked: 15 October 2026
Dr Sean LeoOrthopaedic Surgeon, Singapore
Clinic enquiries · Not an emergency service
Illustrative image
Start here
Start here
Start here
Cost questions are worth settling before treatment begins.
- Orthopaedic fees in Singapore follow a pattern you can learn. A private surgical bill has two halves: doctors’ fees and hospital charges. MOH publishes national fee benchmarks. MediSave, MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plans each pay within limits. Your own estimate follows your assessment and surgical plan.[1][4][6]
- Asking about fees does not start treatment. It helps you plan.
- OrthoKinetics is Dr Sean Leo’s professional brand. Clinical consultations and treatment are provided through OrthoSports Orthopaedic & Sports Surgery.
What’s covered on this webpage
Follow the route in order, or jump to the stop you need. Stops you have read are marked.
When should cost and coverage questions be settled
When should cost and coverage questions be settled
When should cost and coverage questions be settled?
Before treatment begins, and before any admission or day surgery. MOH suggests asking four things before a private admission:[1]
- What is the TOSP code or provisional diagnosis, and what is the procedure for?
- What is the expected fee range, and how does it compare with MOH fee benchmarks?
- Are any doctor-charged components billed through the hospital?
- What is the breakdown, and are there other charges?
Worry about bills is normal. Asking early is planning, not committing. Nothing on this webpage overrides an insurer’s decision.
Safety note: OrthoKinetics does not provide emergency or urgent care through this webpage or its WhatsApp contact.
What goes into an orthopaedic bill
What goes into an orthopaedic bill
What goes into an orthopaedic bill?
A private surgery bill has two halves: the doctors’ fees and the hospital’s fee.[1] Some bills also include other items, shown in the last row of the table.
| Part of the bill | Billed by | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeon’s fee | The surgeon | The operation, including assistants and surgeon-administered sedation |
| Anaesthetist’s fee | The anaesthetist | One continuous anaesthetic episode |
| Attendance fees | The doctors | Daily visits while you are in hospital |
| Hospital fee | The hospital | Room, operating theatre, implants, consumables, tests, nursing and medication |
| Others | The hospital, clinic or supplier that provides the item | Medical accessories, mobility aids, appliances and other durable medical equipment, for example a knee brace or an ice gel wrap |
Whether these other items are covered depends on your insurance plan. Some plans cover them and some do not. To find out, check with your insurance company, or with your human resources department if you are covered through your employer.
A more complex operation raises the bill. So does a need for closer monitoring. Day surgery and an overnight stay shape it differently, and a longer stay raises the total.
More on attendance fees and extra reviews
Attendance fees are higher in a high dependency unit or intensive care unit. Some patients also have a separate anaesthetic or physician review before surgery. That review is its own professional fee, outside the operation.[2]
Use your documents to describe your coverage.
Use your documents to describe your coverage.
Use your documents to describe your coverage.
Bring to your appointment:
- your policy details and insurance card;
- any referral or pre-authorisation requirements;
- previous reports and imaging;
- a current medicine list.
Check your policy for the excess (deductible), the co-payment and the pre-authorisation rules. For a company plan, ask your HR department or plan administrator, because plans differ. The clinic team can help with claim paperwork, including personal accident, hospitalisation or travel claims. It cannot promise the outcome.
Find the relevant payment route.
Find the relevant payment route.
Find the relevant payment route.
Most people pay for private orthopaedic care in one of six ways. Several can combine.
- Self-payment. You pay directly, against an itemised estimate written after a surgical plan exists.
- MediSave. Your CPF medical savings, paying within national limits toward eligible procedures.
- MediShield Life. National basic insurance. At private wards it pays a scaled-down share.
- Integrated Shield Plan and rider. Private top-up insurance, using pre-authorisation and, where issued, a Letter of Guarantee.
- Company health plans. Direct billing through a panel, or pay-and-claim reimbursement. It varies by plan.
- International patients. Direct payment, or a guarantee letter from your insurer or employer.
Choosing a route does not confirm what your policy covers. That depends on your insurer and your plan.
What fee benchmarks can and cannot tell you.
What fee benchmarks can and cannot tell you.
What fee benchmarks can and cannot tell you.
MOH publishes recommended fee ranges for the private sector, called fee benchmarks. They are a yardstick for informed questions. They are not a quote and not a cap.
Benchmarks describe routine, typical cases in private settings. Complex cases may lie at or above the upper end. A fee above a benchmark should be explained in advance. Benchmarks exclude GST.[1]
MOH fee benchmarks, 1-bedded private ward, excluding GST. MOH page last updated 27 July 2026; checked 15 October 2026.[1][2]
| Procedure (TOSP code, table) | Hospital | Surgeon | Anaesthetist | Typical stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee ligament reconstruction, ACL or PCL (SB701K, 5C) | $14,800 to $18,700 | $8,400 to $12,000 | $1,500 to $2,000 | 1 day |
| Primary total knee replacement (SB810K, 6A) | $21,200 to $26,400 | $9,200 to $12,000 | $1,800 to $2,600 | 4 days |
| Rotator cuff repair with decompression (SB710S, 5B) | $13,800 to $18,800 | $9,700 to $13,500 | $1,800 to $2,400 | 1 day |
These are national reference ranges for typical private cases. They are not clinic charges.
What is TOSP? TOSP is the national Table of Surgical Procedures. It ranks operations from table 1A to 7C. The rank guides fees and sets the MediSave and MediShield Life surgical limits.[3] Some operations have no dedicated code, so the clinic confirms the applicable code during assessment and pre-authorisation.
What benchmarks cannot tell you. They cannot tell you your bill. MOH’s past bill-size figures are 2023 bills that include GST, and MOH notes they “do not necessarily sum up to the total bill amount”.[2] For hospital-level lookups, use MOH’s own fee benchmarks page.
The estimate follows the assessment and the person.
The estimate follows the assessment and the person.
The estimate follows the assessment and the person.
A cost estimate for surgery can be given only after a consultation and assessment, once a surgical plan has been developed.
That is not a delay. It is how the number becomes yours. The written estimate separates surgeon, anaesthetist, hospital or facility, implant and consumable costs. It reflects the procedure and its complexity, any implant, length of stay, the facility and your payment route.
The clinic provides the estimate if you decide on surgical management. It also supports pre-authorisation from your insurer where applicable. The final bill can differ with the course of care. The SMC Ethical Code expects fees to be fair, reasonable and made known in advance.[12]
Structure / Patient / Goal
Structure / Patient / Goal
Deciding together
Structure / Patient / Goal
S
Structure: what is being treated?
Structure is the procedure: how complex it is, whether an implant or graft is needed, and whether it is day surgery or a stay.
P
Patient: who is paying and how?
Patient means you as a whole person and as a payer. Your schemes, your health and your ward preferences all shape the estimate.
G
Goal: what do you want the plan to achieve?
Goal is what matters to you: relief, function, work or sport. The goal shapes the plan, and the plan shapes the estimate.
Your plan
No single factor decides the estimate alone.
MediSave, MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plans work in layers.
MediSave, MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plans work in layers.
MediSave, MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plans work in layers.
At a private hospital the layers usually combine. MediSave pays within its limits. MediShield Life pays a scaled-down share. An Integrated Shield Plan tops up within its terms. The balance is paid in cash. Each layer depends on your own policies, so this section explains mechanics only.
| Layer | What it pays | Current limit | Source, as at |
|---|---|---|---|
| MediSave: hospital charges | Daily hospital charges | Inpatient hospitalisation stay: $1,130 a day for the first 2 days, then $400 a day Day surgery: $830 a day | CPF, checked 15 Oct 2026[4] |
| MediSave: surgery | Surgeon, anaesthetist and facility fees combined | $240 (table 1A) to $5,290 (table 7C), by TOSP rank | CPF, 1 Apr 2025 limits, checked 15 Oct 2026[5] |
| MediShield Life | A pro-rated share at private wards | Policy-year limit $200,000; no lifetime limit This is the most it pays in a year, not the amount it pays. A private bill is first scaled down (pro-rated), then claim limits, the deductible and co-insurance apply. So MediShield Life pays only part of a private bill, even one well below $200,000. | MOH and CPF, checked 15 Oct 2026[6][7] |
| Integrated Shield Plan | Private top-up on MediShield Life | Depends on your plan and insurer | MOH, as at 1 Jun 2026[8] |
MediSave and MediShield Life in more detail
For several operations in one episode, MediSave allows up to 3 procedures across no more than 2 body systems, capped at $5,290 or the actual amount, whichever is lower.[5] From 1 January 2026, outpatient MRI and CT scans carry a $600 a year MediSave allowance.[13]
MediShield Life covers Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents for life, including pre-existing conditions. It is designed around subsidised wards, so at a private hospital the claimable amount is scaled down: 16% of ward charges and 10% of surgical charges for Singapore Citizens.[7] For admissions from 1 June 2026, limits include $830 a day for a normal ward plus $800 a day for the first two days, and $7,000 per treatment for implants.[6]
You pay a deductible first ($3,500 at private hospitals, $1,500 for day surgery). A deductible is a fixed sum paid once each policy year. Co-insurance, a percentage of the bill that you share, then applies.[6]
Integrated Shield Plans and riders in more detail
An Integrated Shield Plan adds a private insurance component to MediShield Life. There were seven insurers as at 1 June 2026.[8]
From 1 April 2026, new riders keep a minimum 5% co-payment and can no longer cover the plan deductible.[9] MediSave pays plan premiums only up to the Additional Withdrawal Limits of $300, $600 or $900 a year by age. Riders are paid in cash.[10]
Consultation fees.
Consultation fees.
Consultation fees.
A consultation fee pays for the assessment and the discussion of findings and options. Consultation fees with Dr Sean Leo at the OrthoSports clinics are:
| Consultation | Fee |
|---|---|
| New consultation | $218.00 (inclusive of GST) |
| Follow-up consultation | $163.50 (inclusive of GST) |
| Second opinion consultation | $272.50 (inclusive of GST) |
| Longer consultation | An extra $109.00 (inclusive of GST) for each additional 30 minutes beyond the first 30 minutes |
Consultation fee only. Excludes investigations, medications and procedures.
Teleconsultation is available. It is charged at the same fees as a new, follow-up or longer consultation in person. The clinic team can confirm current fees when you arrange an assessment.
Panels, pre-authorisation and Letters of Guarantee.
Panels, pre-authorisation and Letters of Guarantee.
Panels, pre-authorisation and Letters of Guarantee.
Insurance panels. Dr Sean Leo, Orthopaedic Surgeon, is on the specialist panels of Great Eastern (GE Panel), HSBC Life (HSBC Life Shield) and Singlife (Singlife Shield), and on the Prudential Panel. AXA Insurance Singapore became part of HSBC Life in 2023, and former AXA Shield plans are now HSBC Life Shield plans.
Corporate health plans. Dr Leo is on the panels of both Alliance Medinet and iXchange, which administer medical benefits for many company health plans. If your company plan uses either panel, you can see Dr Leo as a panel doctor.
If your company uses a different panel. Some company plans still let you see a doctor of your choice outside their panel, then claim reimbursement. This varies from plan to plan, as may the co-payment, so please check your benefits with your company’s HR department.
Panel arrangements change from time to time, so please confirm with your insurer or your company’s plan administrator before your appointment.
Dr Leo is on the panels shown. If your insurer is not listed, you may ask whether co-management with an Orthosports surgeon partner on that panel is clinically and administratively appropriate. Orthosports surgeon partners are collectively on the panels of all Shield plans.
You can also ask your insurer which other arrangements it offers, such as a guarantee letter.
Pre-authorisation and the Letter of Guarantee. The usual order runs like this:
- Consultation and surgical plan. The clinic then gives you a written personal estimate.
- Pre-authorisation. Your insurer reviews the planned treatment before admission. The Life Insurance Association suggests submitting at least three business days before.[11]
- Letter of Guarantee. Where approved, many insurers issue one to the hospital. It can waive or reduce the upfront deposit.
- Admission day. The hospital’s own deposit policy applies, so check its published policy.
Insurers may decline, withdraw or limit a guarantee. Neither panel status nor co-management guarantees coverage, approval or cashless treatment.
Arrange a consultation: the appointment section is further down this page.
Online estimators inform a plan; they do not replace an estimate.
Online estimators inform a plan; they do not replace an estimate.
Online estimators inform a plan; they do not replace an estimate.
MOH’s bill-size lookups and hospital estimate tools show medians and ranges from past bills. They cannot examine you, and they do not know your condition, plan or policies. No tool issues a pre-authorisation. For knee procedures, the Billing and insurance questions section of the knee hub gives the same guidance in brief.
What happens next?
What happens next?
What happens next?
Arranging an assessment is a conversation, not a commitment. Bring the documents listed above. Your fee questions are welcome at that visit.
With you through the seasonsMeet Dr Sean Leo
Meet Dr Sean Leo
A consultant orthopaedic surgeon whose clinical focus is the knee, sports injuries and the lower limb.
- Dr Sean Leo is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. OrthoKinetics is his professional brand; clinical services are provided through OrthoSports Orthopaedic & Sports Surgery at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre and Connexion, Farrer Park Hospital.
- His clinical interests include sports injuries, including those in adolescent athletes; ligament reconstruction; realignment surgery; cartilage repair and joint-preservation approaches; knee replacement; and technology-assisted hip and knee surgery.
- The consistent aim is to return people to meaningful function and activity while avoiding unnecessary downtime.
- Qualifications: MBBS, MRCS (Ed), MMed (Ortho), FRCSEd (Ortho).
More detail: Meet Dr Sean Leo
- Training and career: Dr Leo trained in medicine at the National University of Singapore and served in the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps from 2000 to 2012, where his work included the care of soldiers in physically demanding roles. He completed postgraduate orthopaedic training in 2009 and a one-year clinical fellowship at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia, before joining Changi General Hospital as an orthopaedic consultant in 2012, where he later held the positions of Senior Consultant and Director of the Hip and Knee Service. With seniority, his educational contribution has evolved towards mentorship and support for junior doctors.
OrthoKinetics Recovery Reflection
Recovery reflection
What changes when money worry becomes a plan?
Worry about cost is often loud because it is vague. It quietens when it becomes a short list: what you hold, what you need to ask, and who to ask. Gather, ask, and let the estimate follow the assessment.
Illustrative image
Questions people often ask
Common cost and insurance questions
Common cost and insurance questions
How much does a knee replacement cost in Singapore?
MOH’s fee benchmarks for a primary total knee replacement are $21,200 to $26,400 for the hospital, $9,200 to $12,000 for the surgeon and $1,800 to $2,600 for the anaesthetist, excluding GST (MOH, checked 15 October 2026). These are national ranges, not clinic charges. Your estimate follows your assessment.[1][2]
Is Dr Leo on my insurer’s panel, and does that mean I am fully covered?
Dr Leo is on the panels shown in the panels section. If your insurer is not listed, you may ask about co-management with an Orthosports surgeon partner. Panel status does not guarantee coverage, approval or cashless treatment. Please confirm with your insurer.
Sources
References
References
- Ministry of Health (MOH). Hospital Bills and Fee Benchmarks. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/managing-expenses/bills-and-fee-benchmarks/hospital-bills-and-fee-benchmarks/ (page last updated 27 July 2026; checked 15 October 2026).
- Ministry of Health (MOH). Full list of fee benchmarks (private sector). Available at: https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/3/69518286-22ab-4366-8198-45ea4b624ecb/full-list-of-fee-benchmarks_010424.pdf (checked 15 October 2026).
- Ministry of Health (MOH). Table of Surgical Procedures 2026 booklet (in force 1 June 2026; booklet updated 17 August 2026). Available at: https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/3/7ada3dfd-6fd6-4da3-8b27-227c38ee946e/Annex%20B%20-%20TOSP%202026%20Booklet.pdf
- Central Provident Fund Board (CPF). Using MediSave for hospitalisation. Available at: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/healthcare-financing/using-your-medisave-savings/using-medisave-for-hospitalisation (checked 15 October 2026).
- Central Provident Fund Board (CPF). MediSave Withdrawal Limits (1 April 2025). Available at: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/content/dam/web/member/healthcare/documents/MediSave%20Withdrawal%20Limits_1%20April%202025.pdf (checked 15 October 2026).
- Ministry of Health (MOH). MediShield Life benefits. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/managing-expenses/schemes-and-subsidies/medishield-life/medishield-life-benefits/ (1 June 2026 table; checked 15 October 2026).
- Central Provident Fund Board (CPF). Understand MediShield Life payouts. Available at: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/annex/understand-medishield-life-payouts (checked 15 October 2026).
- Ministry of Health (MOH). Comparison of Integrated Shield Plans. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/managing-expenses/schemes-and-subsidies/integrated-shield-plans/comparision-of-integrated-shield-plans/ (as at 1 June 2026; checked 15 October 2026).
- Ministry of Health (MOH). New requirements for Integrated Shield Plan riders. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/newsroom/new-requirements-for-integrated-shield-plan-riders-to-strengthen-sustainability-of-private-health-insurance-and-address-rising-healthcare-costs/ (26 November 2025; checked 15 October 2026).
- Central Provident Fund Board (CPF). Additional Withdrawal Limits for Integrated Shield Plan premiums. Available at: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/service/article/what-are-additional-withdrawal-limits-awls-for-integrated-shield-plan-ip-premiums (last updated 10 March 2025; checked 15 October 2026).
- Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA). Good practices on pre-authorisation. Available at: https://www.lia.org.sg/media/1457/good-practices-on-pre-authorisation-20180108.pdf (8 January 2018).
- Singapore Medical Council (SMC). Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (2016 edition). Available at: https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/77/dc3e060b-e2c5-427a-9fe4-00bd3f9e58b2/2016-smc-ethical-code-and-ethical-guidelines—(13sep16).pdf
- Ministry of Health (MOH). Keeping healthcare affordable and sustainable for all (MediSave outpatient scan limit raised from $300 to $600 a year from 1 January 2026). Available at: https://moh.gov.sg/newsroom/keeping-healthcare-affordable-and-sustainable-for-all (checked 15 October 2026).
Final next step
Final next step
Next step
Final next step
Reading about a problem is a starting point. An assessment brings together the history, an examination where needed and any useful tests, and helps you and your clinician decide what to do next. How much physical examination is needed is a matter of clinical judgement. It may be limited when pain makes an examination unreliable, or when imaging clearly shows a problem that matches the symptoms, such as a fracture seen on an X-ray or an MRI scan that clearly shows an injury consistent with the symptoms. The Singapore Medical Council and the UK General Medical Council both allow remote medical consultations, where a physical examination is not possible, with safeguards: the doctor must be clear about the limits of an opinion formed without an examination, and whether an in-person examination is needed, or referral to other services, is left to the clinical judgement of the attending doctor.
If an injury may need urgent attention, use the urgent-signs list for the area involved. For a knee injury, use the knee urgent-signs list; for a foot or ankle injury, use the foot and ankle urgent-signs list.
Arrange a consultation
Appointments are arranged through the OrthoSports clinic team. Send your details below, or message or call the clinic.
Leave your details and the clinic team will reply to arrange a time.
Message the clinic on WhatsApp
-
38 Irrawaddy Road, #10-41 Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Singapore 329563 Map for Orthosports@Novena (opens Google Maps)
-
1 Farrer Park Station Road, #15-17 Connexion, Singapore 217562 Map for Orthosports@Connexion (opens Google Maps)
WhatsApp is for clinic enquiries only. It is not an emergency service and is not monitored for urgent care. Website or messaging contact is not an emergency-response service. For a medical emergency, use your local emergency service.
- OrthoKinetics does not provide emergency or urgent care through this webpage or its WhatsApp contact.