The health-care delivery system in Singapore can be divided into the public and private sectors, with the bulk of primary care being delivered through the private sector, and the bulk of hospital care being delivered through the public sector health-care institutes.

The health-care system is financed by a mixture of taxation, compulsory saving through the Medisave scheme, employee medical benefits, insurance, and OOP payments. The main principle of the Singaporean government in maintaining the health-care system is provision through a balance between the public and private with a mixture of health-care services. This is augmented by compulsory savings through the Medisave program, and insurance through the MediShield program. At the same time, a safety net is available through the MediFund program for those financially disadvantaged who cannot afford to pay for their medical expenses with sufficient fund from their Medisave accounts. The fundamental philosophy is that individuals should have the responsibility to take care of their own health-care expenditure, but no citizen should be denied of health care because of financial difficulties, and the government is organizing different measures to help the citizens to achieve these goals.