Medisave withdrawal limits to increase to S$500 for outpatient treatment

SINGAPORE — From June, annual Medisave withdrawal limits for outpatient treatment will be increased from S$400 to S$500, enabling Singaporeans to tap more for vaccinations, health screenings and management of chronic diseases like hypertension and depression.

The minimum age for Singaporeans to use Flexi-Medisave will also be lowered from 65 to 60 from the second half of the year. The move will benefit up to 260,000 more Singaporeans who are aged 60 to 64.

Flexi-Medisave allows older Singaporeans to use up to S$200 from their Medisave accounts per year for outpatient treatments at public hospitals’ specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinics and general practitioners participating in the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas).

The Government has decided to extend several healthcare financing schemes to promote preventive and primary care, said Senior Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat at the ministry’s Committee of Supply debate on Wednesday (March 7).

From June, the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) and Chas will be expanded to include pre-diabetes – where individuals have higher-than-normal blood glucose levels but not full-blown Type 2 diabetes – within the scope of diabetes. This is because one in three individuals with pre-diabetes is likely to develop diabetes within eight years without intervention. About 430,000 Singaporeans aged 18 to 69 are estimated to have pre-diabetes, and some may not be aware of their condition.

The CDMP, for which Medisave400 can be used, will cover diabetes-related consumables for those who need insulin injections or who need to buy lancets and test strips to monitor their blood glucose, said Mr Chee.

In addition, the CDMP will include ischaemic heart disease as the 20th condition covered from June.

Last year, the Medisave400 limit was sufficient for four out of five subsidised patients who used Medisave for CDMP treatments, the MOH said.

About 1 in 10 CDMP claimants have three or more chronic conditions.

“The higher CDMP withdrawal limit of S$500 per year will be sufficient to cover an average annual bill of a patient with three or more chronic conditions,” said an MOH spokesperson.

On the Government’s part, the MOH will top up the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) by S$100 million over the next five years.

The fund, first launched in 2011 as the Seniors’ Mobility Fund, has helped make devices such as wheelchairs and hearing aids, as well as consumables such as milk feeds and catheters, more affordable for 49,000 seniors to date.

To lend more support for end-of-life care, the fund will be extended “in the coming months” to clients on home palliative care.

Singaporeans aged 60 and above will be means-tested and assessed by home healthcare or palliative care providers to determine the type and amount of consumables they need as well as the subsidies they will receive, said the MOH.