1.3m workers can soon claim for inpatient mental healthcare

Remote therapy is not new to Ms Breanna Bay, who says she speaks to an offshore therapist about twice a year.

Ms Bay, 24, who will start her new job at events firm CDI World soon, says she spends about $240 a year on therapy.

She says local sessions can cost anything from $180 to $300.

While Ms Bay occasionally turns to therapy or counselling to cope, whether or not a prospective employer offers mental healthcare benefits is not a factor that would stop her from joining a company.

“I’m not a frequent user of mental health services, but I do know of people in my circle who would greatly benefit from this coverage as these services still tend to be quite expensive, with the price point being a barrier to entry for people who need these services,” she notes.

She adds that having such coverage would help companies acknowledge that mental health issues are real and remove the stigma surrounding them.

Ms Bay is among those who are not afraid to seek help when needed.

Insurer AIA Singapore is expanding its corporate insurance coverage from 2025 in the light of the increased attention on mental health issues.

A new feature will allow the actual costs of inpatient mental health treatment to be fully covered, up to the plan’s maximum limit, or as charged.

Other additional features include covering mobile inpatient care at home and allowing direct access to paediatric care without referral letters for those aged seven to 12.

Part of the enhancement is also to allow accident and emergency outpatient coverage at government hospitals on an “as-charged” basis.

This means that more than 1.3 million employees covered under the firm’s group hospital and surgical insurance plan will have access to the enhanced benefits without additional premiums.

Mr Bryan Koh, founder and chief executive of telehealth services provider WhiteCoat Global, says mental health coverage is usually too costly for small and medium-sized companies like his firm.

“We believe it will play a key role in helping us to attract and retain our talent, and also help us to maintain the overall mental well-being of our staff in the fast-paced environment that we operate in,” he notes.

The firm’s staff are covered under the insurer’s corporate plan.

Awareness of the impact of these issues on the economy and workplace productivity has grown since the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting WhiteCoat and AIA to roll out text-based real-time conversations with a psychologist and to provide video and in-person consultations.

Mr Koh says the company has seen a fivefold increase in use cases since the start of the programme in 2023.

Local researchers said in a medical journal in April 2023 that the estimated total economic cost of productivity lost due to anxiety and depression in Singapore was $15.7 billion a year.

Besides higher healthcare costs for the individual, employees affected by mental health issues are 40 per cent less productive at work.

Mr Kenneth Tan, AIA’s chief corporate solutions officer, says: “With full-time employees in Singapore averaging over 40 hours per week at work, employers hold a crucial responsibility in supporting their employees’ mental health.”

Singapore’s group insurance market, which excludes individual health plans, accounted for premiums totalling around $2 billion as at June 2024.

AIA’s move comes at a time when more initiatives to address mental health issues in Singapore are being implemented.

In February, then Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that Singapore will be increasing the number of public-sector psychiatrists and psychologists and rolling out mental health services to all polyclinics and 900 more general practitioner clinics.

An AIA study carried out on 500 participants from late May to early June found that 59 per cent believe they need or might need more resources or support for mental wellness.

They said affordability, accessibility and presence of workplace initiatives are key.