Full portability of IPs will not be mandated here

Full portability of Integrated Shield Plan (IP) insurance policies will not be mandated in the Republic – it is not an international best practice, according to a feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

- Joyce Teo

The study has concluded, an MOH spokesman said in a statement on Nov 19.

“In other countries, insurance is portable insofar as it is mandatory national insurance, which is what we are doing under MediShield Life,” he added.

“Some countries, namely Australia and Ireland, implemented portability for supplementary and private insurance, but those are done under very specific circumstances. It is also not cheap, involving spending of public monies and setting up new administrative structures.”