Recourse for Employers of Foreign Domestic Workers with Mental or Critical Illnesses

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what recourse does an employer of a foreign domestic worker (FDW) have when the hired FDW already has a mental illness, cancer or critical illness which may not be discoverable at the time of hiring and these are excluded from the compulsory insurance cover; and (b) whether it can be mandated that these illnesses be areas of coverage in the compulsory insurance which FDW agencies and/or employers of FDWs need to procure.

Mr Lim Swee Say: Every foreign domestic worker (FDW) is required to be certified fit for employment by a Singapore-registered doctor before she can start work. This involves a medical examination by the doctor and a declaration by the FDW on her medical history, covering pre-existing conditions such as mental illness, diabetes and heart disease. Any FDW who makes a false declaration will have her work pass revoked, may be charged in court, and permanently barred from working in Singapore.

To ensure that the medical costs incurred by individual FDW are not transferred to other taxpayers, employers of FDWs are required to bear the cost of any medical treatment incurred by their FDWs. This includes illnesses not discovered earlier. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the current compulsory medical insurance coverage already covers fully 97% of all inpatient and day surgery bills for FDWs at public hospitals. For the small minority of employers who face genuine difficulties in paying their FDWs' medical bills, they can seek assistance from Medical Social Workers at the relevant healthcare institutions.

To keep premiums affordable and provide adequate coverage, insurance companies which sell the compulsory medical insurance for FDWs currently do not cover pre-existing illnesses. Mandating compulsory coverage of pre-existing illnesses will raise costs for all employers, even for those who do not need it, and therefore, needs to be carefully considered. Regardless, individual employers can voluntarily purchase additional insurance for greater coverage. Additionally, employers can choose to send their FDWs for more medical examinations prior to employment to check for pre-existing illnesses.