What is a Third-Party Administrator (TPA)?
A Third-Party Administrator (TPA) is an organisation that manages employee health benefits on behalf of employers and insurers. A TPA sits between the employer, the insurer and the healthcare provider — verifying eligibility, enabling cashless visits, processing and adjudicating claims, and reporting on utilisation.
What does a TPA actually do day to day?
A TPA verifies that an employee is entitled to a benefit, authorises treatment at a panel clinic so the employee doesn't pay upfront, receives and adjudicates claims against the policy or benefit plan, settles payment with providers, and gives HR and insurers reports on cost and utilisation.
Why should we outsource to a TPA instead of administering benefits in-house?
In-house administration means employees pay cash and claim reimbursement, and your HR team handles receipts, checking and payouts. Outsourcing to a TPA removes that admin burden, gives employees cashless access, improves claims accuracy, and gives you clear data on where your healthcare spend goes.
Do our employees still pay at the clinic?
No. Under a TPA arrangement with cashless access, eligible employees simply present their identification at a participating clinic. Their visit is verified against their entitlement and billed directly to the employer or insurer, within the limits you set.
Can we set different benefit limits for different groups of staff?
Yes. Benefit plans are typically configured by employee tier or group — with different limits, co-payment rules and eligible services — and the TPA enforces those rules at the point of care.
Is our employees' medical data kept confidential?
Yes. Employee medical information is treated as confidential and handled in line with Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Employers receive aggregated cost and utilisation reporting, not individual clinical details.
How do we get started with Bethesda as our TPA?
Get in touch with our corporate team with your headcount, benefit structure and requirements. We'll walk through what your plan needs, then set up eligibility, benefit limits and cashless access for your employees.
