You see the price of a physiotherapy session and wonder how much of it your insurance will pay. Is physiotherapy covered by insurance in Singapore? Often, yes, depending on the terms of your policy. The most common routes are private plans: company medical benefits, flexible benefits, personal accident, travel or hospitalisation cover. This guide shows you which route fits you and how claims work at our physiotherapy clinic in the CBD.
How claiming physiotherapy on insurance works at Horizon
Physiotherapy is often claimable under private health insurance and employer-sponsored medical benefits in Singapore, depending on the terms of your specific policy. For most of our patients, MediShield Life and MediSave are not the relevant question. What matters is whether your company's private plan includes outpatient physiotherapy, allied health, rehabilitation or post-hospitalisation treatment.
We operate on a reimbursement basis rather than as a cashless insurance panel clinic. You pay for your appointment directly, and we give you an itemised invoice and receipt. You submit them through your insurer, your employee-benefits portal or your HR department. If your plan covers physiotherapy, your insurer reimburses the eligible amount directly to you.
A first appointment at our clinic near Maxwell MRT is S$250, and a standard follow-up is S$200. Physiotherapy is usually claimable under most corporate insurance plans in Singapore, so check your own policy first.
Which private insurers may reimburse physiotherapy in Singapore?
We regularly provide claim-supporting invoices and receipts for patients insured with many of the corporate and international health insurers common in Singapore. Coverage depends on your own policy, not on the insurer's name. The insurers our patients claim with include:
- AIA
- Great Eastern
- Prudential
- Income Insurance
- Singlife
- HSBC Life
- Tokio Marine
- Manulife
- Bupa Global, including plans provided with Raffles Health Insurance
- Cigna Healthcare
- Allianz Care
- Raffles Health Insurance
- Etiqa
- MSIG
- Chubb
Some employers run their benefits through healthcare networks or third-party administrators such as MHC Asia, Fullerton Health, Alliance Medinet or IHP. If yours does, your benefits portal may show the administrator's name rather than the insurer's.
An insurer appearing on this list does not mean every policy it sells covers physiotherapy. Each employer selects its own corporate insurance benefits, so two people insured with the same insurer can have different entitlements. Your cover may sit under outpatient specialist care, allied health, rehabilitation, wellness benefits, flexible benefits or pre- and post-hospitalisation treatment.
For example, Income Insurance offers employers an optional add-on to its group medical plan. According to Income Insurance, its Outpatient Primary and Specialist Care rider includes outpatient physiotherapy treatment. Your company plan with Income covers physiotherapy this way only if your employer chose that rider.
Which types of insurance plan pay for physiotherapy in Singapore
In our experience, five types of plan are the most common routes to claiming physiotherapy in Singapore. They are group work insurance, flexible benefit schemes, personal accident insurance, travel insurance for an injury overseas, and hospitalisation plans for a related condition. These are common plans, available to everyone in Singapore. Contact your agent or HR department to find out what yours covers.
Group work insurance
Your employer buys group medical insurance for its staff and chooses which benefits it includes. Physiotherapy can sit under outpatient, allied health or rehabilitation benefits. Income's rider above puts it under outpatient care. You find your limit in your benefits schedule or claims portal.
Flexible benefit schemes
Many companies also run a flexible benefit scheme that covers physiotherapy. You get an allowance to spend on approved categories each year. Check that physiotherapy is one of them, and how much of your allowance you have left.
Personal accident insurance
Personal accident plans can pay for physiotherapy after an injury from an accident. According to Income Insurance, its PA Assurance plan sets a yearly physiotherapy limit of S$1,000 to S$6,500, depending on the tier. Limits and conditions differ between insurers, so read your own policy schedule.
Travel insurance, if you were injured overseas
You may be able to claim on your travel insurance if you hurt yourself on a trip. Some travel plans pay for follow-up treatment once you are back in Singapore. According to Singlife, its travel plans cover follow-up treatment within 31 days of your return, if you were first treated during the trip. Ask your insurer whether physiotherapy counts as follow-up treatment, and book early, since the window is short.
Hospitalisation plans, for related issues
A hospitalisation plan can pay for physiotherapy that relates to a hospital stay or surgery. Great Eastern is one example. According to Great Eastern's claims guidance, your treating doctor must recommend the physiotherapy in writing, and it must relate to the condition behind your admission. The coverage window after discharge varies by insurer.
Do you need a referral to claim physiotherapy on insurance?
You do not need a doctor's referral to book a physiotherapist in Singapore. According to World Physiotherapy's Singapore profile, you can self-refer in private practice and in the public system. Your insurer may still ask for a referral before it pays, depending on your policy. Some plans ask for a doctor's letter, and others for proof that the treatment links to an accident, a trip or a hospital stay. Check your own policy before your first session.
According to the Allied Health Professions Council, physiotherapists must be registered before they can practise in Singapore.
What documents you need for a physiotherapy insurance claim
Most physiotherapy claims start with an itemised invoice and receipt, which we provide. Your insurer may ask for more, depending on your policy. Gather everything before you file, so your claim does not come back for missing paperwork. You then submit it through your insurer, your employee-benefits portal or your HR department.
- An itemised invoice and receipt from us.
- A doctor's referral letter, if your policy asks for one.
- A medical report or diagnosis, if your insurer needs proof that the treatment links to an accident, a trip or a hospital stay.
How to check your physiotherapy coverage before you book
You can check your coverage in three steps before your first appointment. Start with your own benefits schedule, then confirm the details with whoever runs your plan, so you know what you will pay before you arrive.
- Find your benefits schedule or claims portal. Look for outpatient, allied health, rehabilitation, flexible benefits or post-hospitalisation cover.
- Ask your agent or HR department what your plan pays for physiotherapy, and whether a sub-limit applies.
- Ask whether your policy needs a referral, so you can get a doctor's letter before you start if it does.
Horizon is on Level 2 at KADA, 5 Kadayanallur Street, a short walk from Maxwell MRT, between Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown. Our physiotherapy team works with persistent pain, TMJ issues, back pain, post-operative rehab and lower limb injuries, including ACL recovery. We coordinate your treatment with personal training under one plan, so you can move from rehab into strength work without starting over.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim Horizon physiotherapy through my company insurance?
Possibly. Many employer-sponsored medical plans cover physiotherapy under outpatient, allied health, rehabilitation, flexible-benefit or post-hospitalisation benefits. You pay us directly and submit our itemised invoice and receipt for reimbursement. Your insurer decides the amount payable according to your company's policy.
Is Horizon a cashless panel clinic?
We operate on a reimbursement basis rather than as a cashless panel clinic. You pay us at the time of treatment. We then provide the documents you need to submit a claim to your insurer or employee-benefits administrator.
Do AIA, Prudential, Great Eastern, Cigna, Bupa and other insurers accept Horizon invoices?
We provide itemised invoices and receipts that you can submit to private insurers. Patients submit them to AIA, Prudential, Great Eastern, Income Insurance, Singlife, HSBC Life, Tokio Marine, Manulife, Bupa Global, Cigna Healthcare, Allianz Care and others. Whether your claim is reimbursed depends on the benefits, limits and requirements of your particular policy.
Does having the same insurer mean my colleague and I have the same coverage?
No. Employers choose different benefit packages, annual limits, co-payments and referral requirements. Even employees insured by the same provider may have different physiotherapy coverage. Always check your own benefits schedule or claims portal.
Do I need a doctor's referral to see a physiotherapist in Singapore?
Not to book a session. Singapore allows direct access, so you can see a physiotherapist without a referral. Whether your insurer needs a referral before it reimburses you depends on your policy, so check before your first appointment.
How much does physiotherapy cost at Horizon?
A first appointment is S$250 and covers a 60-minute assessment and treatment. A standard follow-up is S$200. Physiotherapy is usually claimable under most corporate insurance plans in Singapore, so check what your own policy allows before you budget for the full amount.
Conclusion
Before you budget for the full price, open your benefits schedule or claims portal and look for physiotherapy, allied health or rehabilitation cover. If the wording is unclear, ask your agent or HR department, and ask whether your policy needs a referral. Once you know what your plan pays, book your first physiotherapy appointment at our clinic near Maxwell MRT. Keep the itemised invoice we give you for your claim.
