In the clinic
MediSave, MediShield Life and insurance for vascular and general surgery
By Dr Tay Jia Sheng · Vascular, Endovascular & General Surgeon
How MediSave applies to surgery
MediSave is the compulsory medical savings account that every working Singaporean and permanent resident builds up through CPF. It can be used for approved day surgery and inpatient treatment in Singapore — including private hospitals and day-surgery centres — for yourself and approved dependants.
For a surgical episode, the amount that can be withdrawn has two parts:
- A daily hospital charge limit — $830 per day for an approved day surgery; for an inpatient stay, $1,130 per day for the first two days and $400 per day from the third day.
- A surgical limit — set by the procedure's table in the MOH Table of Surgical Procedures (TOSP), which grades every listed operation from Table 1A ($240) to Table 7C ($5,290) by complexity.
The total claimable for the episode is the sum of the two. Most of the procedures I perform are day cases, so the day-surgery limit applies.
MediShield Life and Integrated Shield plans
MediSave limits cap what can be drawn from your savings; they are not the bill. The balance is met by insurance where the treatment is covered:
- MediShield Life — the national basic plan that every citizen and permanent resident holds, designed around subsidised wards in public hospitals. It pays a limited amount towards private treatment.
- Integrated Shield plans — private top-ups from an insurer that extend cover to private hospitals and specialists. What is paid depends on your plan, your chosen ward class, and any rider. The clinic works with the major Integrated Shield insurers; the current list is on the contact page.
The practical sequence is simple: at consultation, once a procedure is recommended, the clinic checks your MediSave eligibility and your insurance cover and gives you a written estimate before anything is booked.
MediSave surgical limits for the procedures I perform
TOSP code and table are from the MOH Table of Surgical Procedures 2026; the surgical limit for each table is from the MOH MediSave page (last updated by MOH on 27 August 2026). Codes checked on 15 September 2026; limits re-checked on 26 September 2026. These are MOH withdrawal limits, not the clinic's fees — the fee for your procedure is set out in the estimate you receive before treatment.
| Procedure | TOSP code (table) | MediSave surgical limit |
|---|---|---|
| Endovenous ablation (laser)† | SD713V (3B) SD714V (4A) | $1,740 $2,380 |
| VenaSeal (medical adhesive closure) | — | Confirm at consultation* |
| Mechanochemical ablation (MOCA) | — | Confirm at consultation* |
| HIFU echotherapy | — | Confirm at consultation* |
| Microphlebectomy | SD804V (4A) | $2,380 |
| Foam sclerotherapy | SD717V (3B) | $1,740 |
| Angioplasty, atherectomy and stenting (leg arteries) | SD721A (3A) SD720A (4A) SD719A (3B) | $1,390 $2,380 $1,740 |
| Lower-limb bypass | SD713A (5C) SD714A (6B) | $2,770 $3,610 |
| EVAR / TEVAR | SD837A (5C) SD738A (6C) SD701A (6C) SD703A (5C) | $2,770 $3,960 $3,960 $2,770 |
| Carotid endarterectomy / stenting | SK802A (6B) SK706A (4B) | $3,610 $2,440 |
| DVT thrombolysis / thrombectomy | SD712V (4A) | $2,380 |
| Deep venous stenting | SD718V (3B) | $1,740 |
| Pelvic vein embolisation | SI703O (3B) | $1,740 |
| Varicocele embolisation | — | Confirm at consultation* |
| Geniculate artery embolisation | — | Confirm at consultation* |
| AV fistula / graft creation‡ | SD821A (3C) SD709A (5A) | $1,920 $2,610 |
| Dialysis access salvage | SD707A (3A) SD705A (3A) | $1,390 $1,390 |
| Peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion | SF852A (2A) | $760 |
| Hernia repair | SF819A (3B) SF820A (4C) SF814A (3A) SF823A (4A) | $1,740 $2,540 $1,390 $2,380 |
| Laparoscopic cholecystectomy | SF801G (4A) | $2,380 |
| Skin lump / cyst excision | SA729S (1C) SA731S (1A) SA701S (2B) | $490 $240 $1,120 |
| Gastroscopy / colonoscopy | SF701I (1B) SF702C (2C) SF703C (2C) | $420 $1,120 $1,120 |
| Wound debridement | SA853S (1C) SA811S (2C) | $490 $1,120 |
* Not named as a separate line in the MOH table; the clinic confirms the applicable code and limit before treatment.
† RF ablation, VenaSeal, MOCA and HIFU: eligibility confirmed at consultation.
‡ SD821A applies to a native fistula, made from your own artery and vein; SD709A to an arteriovenous graft.
Where a procedure is listed with more than one code, the applicable code depends on the extent of the procedure — one leg or two, unilateral or bilateral, simple or complex — and is confirmed before treatment.
What this means for you
- Day surgery is the norm for most of the vein, access and general surgical procedures listed above, so the $830 daily limit plus the surgical limit is the usual MediSave envelope.
- MediSave plus insurance together usually cover a substantial part of a claimable procedure; the estimate shows the expected balance.
- Screening colonoscopy can be paid with MediSave when it follows the Academy of Medicine's screening recommendations, subject to the colonoscopy limit above plus the daily charge.
- Bring your plan details to the consultation — insurer, plan name and ward entitlement — and the clinic can check cover on the spot.
When these figures change
MOH revises the Table of Surgical Procedures and the withdrawal limits periodically. This page records the date it was last checked; the clinic verifies the current figure for your specific procedure before treatment, and that figure — not this page — is the one that applies to your bill.
Source: Ministry of Health, Singapore — MediSave and the Table of Surgical Procedures 2026 booklet published there. Codes checked 15 September 2026; limits re-checked 26 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use MediSave for a day procedure like vein ablation?
- Yes, where the procedure is listed in the MOH Table of Surgical Procedures. A day-surgery claim has two parts: a daily hospital charge limit of $830, plus a surgical limit that depends on the procedure's TOSP table — from $240 for a Table 1A procedure to $5,290 for Table 7C. The table on this page lists the limit for each procedure I perform. The clinic confirms eligibility and gives you a written estimate before treatment.
- Does MediSave cover the whole bill?
- Usually not. MediSave withdrawal limits cap how much can be drawn from your account for a given procedure; the balance is paid by MediShield Life or an Integrated Shield plan where the treatment is covered, or from other funds. The estimate you receive before treatment sets out the expected split.
- What is the difference between MediShield Life and an Integrated Shield plan?
- MediShield Life is the national basic health insurance every Singapore citizen and permanent resident holds, sized for subsidised wards in public hospitals. An Integrated Shield plan is a private top-up bought from an insurer that extends cover to private hospitals and specialists. Whether and how much a plan pays depends on your plan's terms, your ward class, and any rider you hold.
- Why do some procedures say 'confirm at consultation'?
- Because the MOH table names some procedures by a specific technique and not others. For newer techniques, or where more than one code could apply, the clinic checks the correct code and limit for your specific procedure before treatment rather than publishing a figure that may not match.
- How current are the figures on this page?
- They are taken from the MOH Table of Surgical Procedures 2026 booklet and the MOH MediSave page; the codes were checked on 15 September 2026 and the limits on 26 September 2026. MOH revises the table and the limits periodically, so the figures here are a guide; the estimate you receive before treatment is the figure that applies.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are concerned about your own health, please see a doctor.