Pioneers need more healthcare support: PAP group

SINGAPORE — Minimising the cash outlay by seniors for their healthcare bills is at the crux of the recommendations made by the PAP Seniors Group to the Government for the Pioneer Generation Package and the formulation of MediShield Life.

The group from the People’s Action Party, making policy recommendations for the first time since it was formed in December, called for higher Medisave withdrawal limits for the elderly, more help for them to pay specialist outpatient treatments and expensive non-subsidised medicine, among other things.

Sharing the recommendations at a press conference yesterday, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, who chairs the group, said healthcare was a chief concern during a dialogue session it had organised last week.

For instance, individuals aged 65 and above made up 10 per cent of the population in 2012, but accounted for almost 30 per cent of hospital admissions. Dialogue participants, who included both the young and elderly, also pointed out that seniors may have little savings, but face medical-cost inflation, Mdm Halimah said.

While the recommendations were made with the pioneer generation in mind, Mdm Halimah told TODAY they would be applicable to future cohorts of seniors as well. “Everyone will eventually grow old and the need for healthcare is recurrent,” she added.

Mdm Halimah also noted that the dialogue participants had different views on the definition of a pioneer. However, there was consensus towards setting a baseline benefit for all pioneers while giving the needy ones more, she added.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is expected to reveal details of the Pioneer Generation Package on Sunday.

On the group’s recommendation to allow for higher Medisave withdrawal limits, Mdm Halimah noted that elderly citizens who are frail or suffer from chronic ailments might need to use their Medisave more than the younger people.

“We are also concerned that if … the elderly cannot withdraw more Medisave, they may end up in hospital more to make use of subsidies ... that is also not so desirable (with the current hospital bed crunch),” she said.

The group further suggested for Medisave to be used for home-based care to encourage active ageing in the community, as well as for buying non-subsidised medicine, so senior citizens will not have to use too much of their own cash.

With the ongoing review of MediShield Life — a universal insurance scheme offering lifelong coverage — the group also recommended increasing its level of benefits to provide better coverage for large subsidised bills.

Besides asking the Government to help pioneers pay a significant part of MediShield Life premiums, the group also noted that such help cannot be one-off as premiums will increase in the future.

Mdm Halimah also reiterated that the community can play a part in showing their appreciation and respect for the pioneer generation. For example, private enterprises can consider giving special discounts for senior customers, she said.

Mdm Halimah, who submitted the group’s recommendations to Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday, will also send them to the MediShield Life Review Committee.