By Salma Khalik
BY JUNE, middle-income Singaporeans can tap their Medisave accounts to pay a larger part of their private hospital bills.
The amount they can withdraw for operations will go up, in some cases, by as much as 80 per cent
The move is to help them meet the high cost of surgery.
Currently, the limits for the full range of operations stretch from $150 to $5,000. The new range is $250 to $7,550.
This change will not affect subsidised patients in B2 and C class wards, since the current limits more than cover their share of the bill.
For lower-income Singaporeans, the change is in the scope of Medisave use for chronic problems. It will be extended to include some mental ailments.
The chronic problems that Medisave can now pay for include diabetes and asthma. However, the cap is set at $300 a year per Medisave account. But patients from large families can tap on more than one account to pay for their treatment.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced these changes in Parliament yesterday when he replied to Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC).
Madam Halimah had asked for the use of Medisave to be expanded as Singaporeans prefer it to be more flexible.
'A common complaint from Singaporeans is: 'I have money in my Medisave yet I have to pay cash for my medical bills which I do not have', and this causes them stress and anguish,' she said.
The latest move follows a change made in 2007, which raised daily withdrawal limits to $450.
Both measures are aimed at helping middle-income Singaporeans who prefer private wards in public hospitals, or the services of private hospitals.
Mr Khaw said the 2007 increase had helped many people, especially those who did not require surgery.
So this year, the focus is to help those who need surgery.
The higher limits for surgery will let patients with hefty Medisave accounts cut their out-of-pocket expenses should they opt for private health care.
Mr Khaw gave the example of a person going for knee replacement. The current cap of $3,200 will be raised to $5,150 - reducing the amount the patient has to fork out by $1,950.
Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio GRC) wanted the $300 annual amount on outpatient treatment extended to all illnesses.
Mr Khaw said 'no' as he feared 'the money will be depleted, a few doctors will get fat, and the medical condition will not get better'.
Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade GRC) asked that Medisave be allowed for the payment of outpatient treatment of mental illnesses.
She suggested that it initially be confined to a few types of mental conditions, such as schizophrenia and manic depression. After fine-tuning the use of Medisave for such treatments, it can be extended later to more mental ailments.
This is not the first time the suggestion has been made in Parliament. Said Mr Khaw: 'Madam Halimah, Dr Fatimah and several other Members have asked for this extension for quite some time.
'Proper management of psychiatric conditions in the outpatient setting would also reduce the number of cases turning into costly hospitalisations.'
But before agreeing to extend the use of Medisave, he reminded the House that its original purpose was to pay for costly hospital care, and it should not be depleted for outpatient use.
He also repeated his previous objections to including mental ailments: the lack of consensus among psychiatrists on the proper treatment.
However, Mr Khaw agreed to its use for depression and schizophrenia, which affect the bulk of the mentally ill.
The treatment must also be within a framework to be set out. This will be ready before October and will cover treatment by both psychiatrists and general practitioners.
Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) asked that Medisave be allowed for overseas medical treatment. This idea was mooted at a meeting the minister had with unionists in April last year.
While agreeing with the point in principle, Mr Khaw's concern was ensuring 'safety and adequate standards, while guarding against fraudulent claims'.
He added that the ministry is mulling over the implications of such a move.
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