Special Care for Special Needs

For Mr Jamil Amin, Ms Grace Sulu and Madam Wu Yujin, securing insurance coverage for their children used to be an uphill battle. Agents would back off upon realising that their children have special needs.

Ms Annie Chua, Senior Manager, Personal Lines, NTUC Income said, “The special needs segment is not served by most commercial insurers. The pool is small, the risks are uncertain and the effort required is significant.”

Mr Jamil Amin, father of Mohamed, a 26 year-old café assistant who is autistic, said, “My son was denied affordable insurance coverage until NTUC Income introduced its SpecialCare (Autism) plan. I now have peace of mind knowing that he will be covered for accidents at work or when travelling“.

These were also the sentiments of Madam Wu Yujin who had also been rejected by insurers when she wanted coverage for her 10-year-old son.

Launched in August 2013, NTUC Income’s SpecialCare (Autism) is the first insurance plan in Singapore to provide coverage for children and young adults with autism, providing much needed relief for families with autistic dependents.

The plan covers accidents and infectious diseases, including outpatient clinic and hospitalisation medical expenses, daily hospital income, personal liability, death and disability due to accidents. Coverage also includes unique benefits not found in most insurance plans such as mobility aids, psychiatric treatment, physiotherapy, home modifications and caregiver training. More than 380 children and youth are protected by SpecialCare (Autism).

Encouraged by this response, Ms Chua added “Over time, we hope to accumulate experience from SpecialCare (Autism) and be in a better position to study the viability of offering other special needs products.”