Chas patients can appeal if they exceed 24 claims for common illnesses a year: MOH

SINGAPORE — Patients on the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) who need to make more than 24 claims a year for common illnesses such as flu and fever may appeal to the Ministry of Health (MOH), said the ministry on Tuesday (April 30).

The appeals channel will begin from January next year, when a cap on claims for common and acute illnesses — as announced by the MOH last month in Parliament — kicks in.

There is currently no annual cap on the number of acute claims under Chas, which provides subsidies to those in lower- and middle-income households for visits to participating general practitioner and dental clinics.

Chas currently allows patients to make up to four claims for common illnesses per clinic, per month.

The new cap will affect 0.5 per cent of patients on Chas as the majority do not exceed the threshold, said MOH. Among those who exceed 24 visits to polyclinics or Chas clinics a year are people seeking post-surgery treatment or who are recovering from an accident, it said.

The Government is imposing the cap to discourage “excessive utilisation of services so that the subsidy framework can be more sustainable in the long run”, said Senior Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min.

Common illnesses such as coughs usually require only one visit to the clinic, while acute conditions include bone fractures or urinary tract infections.

The new cap does not apply to chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis or high blood pressure.

On Tuesday, the MOH also revealed details for dental subsidies that Merdeka Generation seniors will receive from November. These subsidies are higher than what blue Chas cardholders receive, but lower than that for the Pioneer Generation.

To streamline the Chas application process, Singaporeans will be able to apply for Chas cards on behalf of all household members in August, as long as the family members are living at the same address as shown on their identity cards.

And from September, Singaporeans may apply online for Chas.

JURONG RESIDENTS GET NEW POLYCLINIC

Meanwhile, Jurong Polyclinic will be rebuilt by 2025 at a site 150m away from its current premises along Jurong East Ave 1, the MOH also announced.

The new polyclinic will take over the site of the yo:HA hostel, which was previously occupied by Jurong Primary School.

The new polyclinic will be two-and-a-half times as large as the current one — which will continue to operate until the new one is ready — and be located together with a new 700-bed nursing home.

The number of people above the age of 65 in Jurong is higher than the national average, and is expected to increase to almost one in four residents by 2025, said Dr Lam.

The new nursing home will offer respite to caregivers who are unable to take care of their elderly parents or grandparents for a short period of time, said Jurong Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng.

Its operator will be announced at a later date.

The redevelopment of Jurong Polyclinic — run by the National University Polyclinics — will allow the authorities to design a building with a team-based care model in mind.

This will cater better to an ageing population more prone to chronic conditions, who can be assigned to a regular team of family physicians, as well as care coordinators and nurses.

The current polyclinic opened in 1988 and serves 1,300 patients a day.

It will not be the first to be co-located with a nursing home.

Last year, the MOH announced that the government-run Senja Care Home in Bukit Panjang would have 350 beds and be the first nursing home here to be next to a polyclinic.

The home will also offer daycare places. It will be operated by Vanguard Healthcare, which was set up by the MOH under MOH Holdings.