SINGAPORE — In a first, two dental clinics will be suspended from the Government’s Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas), which subsidises the cost of seeking care at participating general practitioner and dental clinics for low-income households.   

The clinics, run by Phoenix Dental Surgery at Ang Mo Kio and Marine Parade, will be suspended from July 8. Audits by the Ministry of Health (MOH) found that both clinics continuously filed claims that did not comply with rules and guidelines, the ministry said on Wednesday (June 22).

This includes the clinics filing claims for procedures they did not perform. The ministry had informed the clinics of the audit findings in May, and has also referred the matter to the police for investigations into possible criminal offences. 

It also noted that the majority of participating Chas clinics comply with the rules.   

Dentists at the two clinics may continue practising in accordance with their registration with the Singapore Dental Council, but treatments there will not be eligible for Chas subsidies during the period of suspension.

The MOH said it would review the situation, taking into account police investigations, before considering whether the clinics could resume participating in Chas.

The clinics would also have to show the MOH that they have taken steps to rectify all instances of non-compliance and ensure future compliance with the rules set out in the Chas agreement signed by participating clinics, as well as with the ministry’s prevailing guidelines and circulars on Chas. 

The ministry has instructed the clinics to notify their Chas and Pioneer Generation patients that they would no longer enjoy Chas subsidies at the clinics from the date of suspension. These patients may continue benefiting from Chas subsidies if they visit any of the other Chas dental clinics, which number more than 600, the MOH said. Phoenix Dental Surgery did not respond to TODAY’s request for comment.  

Some 650,000 Singaporeans tapped the Chas scheme last year, and subsidies for Chas and Pioneer Generation cardholders amounted to S$167 million.

There are more than 1,500 Chas clinics islandwide. To ensure that claims filed adhere to rules, guidelines and approved use, the MOH conducts regular audits on its schemes, such as Chas and Medisave. 

The ministry said it would not hesitate to take action against clinics that flout the rules, such as recovering monies claimed by errant clinics, suspending or terminating their participation in the schemes, and referring cases to the relevant authorities, including the police, for further investigation.