Ong Ye Kung
Singapore
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) recently enhanced the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) dental subsidies, which are tiered by income, for common preventive and restorative procedures.”
“Healthier SG GP clinics may also refer their enrolled patients to Active Ageing Centres and Community Health Posts to fulfill their social prescriptions and for subsidised services, such as medication management.”
“Public hospitals, such as the National University Hospital, the Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, have deployed robotic-assisted surgical (RAS) systems for minimally invasive soft-tissue surgeries.”
“The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) welcomes drug producers to choose Singapore as part of their first-wave filings. As long as a pharmaceutical product is approved by at least one regulatory agency, such as China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), it would also qualify for the abridged route.”
“A decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with diabetes can be due to multiple reasons. Doctors will first investigate the underlying cause before determining whether the patient should be referred to a specialist. Some causes are reversible and cause transient reduction in renal function.”
“Information on the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) cannot be made visible on the National Electronic Health Record system as it is protected under the Mental Capacity Act. Such information may only be disclosed by the Public Guardian to specified persons upon satisfactory submission of evidence(s) required under the law.”
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“Between 2013 to 2023, the median age at which individuals were diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung and stomach cancer has increased for all four cancers. The Screening Test Review Committee in consultation with relevant clinical experts considers local epidemiological data, the available evidence for effectiveness of specific screening tests and relevant international and local guidelines in developing its recommendations. The Ministry of Health's screening policies take reference from these recommendations.”
“Seniors can access a wide range of programmes in the community that help reduce their risk of falls. These are offered by various organisations, such as the Health Promotion Board (HPB), Sport Singapore (SportSG), the People's Association and Active Ageing Centres (AACs). Over the past five years, HPB's targeted programmes, like Steady Lah, and SportSG's Combat Age-related Loss of Muscle (CALM) programme at Active Health Labs and AACs have attracted a total participation of more than 25,000. We have seen results from these targeted programmes. For example, seven in 10 seniors who attended HPB's targeted programmes demonstrated functional improvements in strength, flexibility and gait speed. For CALM, 85% of seniors improved in at least three of the five measurements, that is, skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength, gait speed, sit-to-stand and functional reach. HPB and SportSG plan to expand these programmes to reach another 10,000 seniors by end-2026. Beyond these programmes, seniors can take part in self-directed activities, such as tapping on Age Strong on the Healthy 365 app that provides customised workouts and falls prevention tips.”
“The bulk of premiums increases for Integrated Shield Plans are due to claims. Commissions constitute a small part of premiums. Financial advisors play a useful role to help consumers to assess and choose suitable insurance plans according to their needs. Insurers are free to introduce other distribution channels.”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Health's answer to Oral Question No 15 during the Parliamentary sitting on 6 March 2026. [Please refer to "Assessment of Taiwan's National Lung Cancer Early Detection Programme", Official Report, 6 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 26, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Today, patients who are medically indicated to undergo fertility tests receive subsidies of up to 70% at public specialist outpatient clinics. The Ministry of Health is working with the Prime Minister's Office on an ongoing review of fertility health policies, including financing support for fertility tests.”
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) has seen some increases in procurement costs for certain medical consumables used in our public hospitals and polyclinics since the beginning of March 2026. However, the impact has been manageable. Immediate supply disruption through the Straits of Hormuz are minimal as medical supplies from this route represent well below 1% of total medical supplies, which constitute about 12% of total healthcare costs. There has been no impact on our stockpiles. Nevertheless, we are monitoring potential secondary effects. The global supply chain is intricate and disrupted petrochemical products could affect ingredients for medical consumables, like gloves and syringes, as well as chemicals used in pharmaceutical production. We are closely monitoring these downstream effects. The Agency of Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS) leverages bulk purchasing across the public healthcare system and works closely with suppliers to negotiate better rates and stabilise prices. MOH has also diversified our supplier base for medical consumables, sourcing from multiple regions, including Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Our current response measures include maintaining stockpiles of essential supplies, monitoring usage, minimising wastage, working with trusted suppliers and preparing contingency plans. MOH will closely monitor global supply conditions and their impact on public healthcare costs and adjust our sourcing strategies accordingly.”
“The Ministry of Health does not specifically track bill data for specialist outpatient clinic antenatal care. In 2024, about eight in 10 Singapore Citizens had no out-of-pocket payments for subsidised deliveries at a public hospital.”
“The Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) was introduced in 1965 as a means of expressing appreciation to regular blood donors. It was discontinued on 1 July 2002 for all new and lapsed donors as Singapore moved to a fully non-remunerated voluntary blood donation system, in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Regular blood donors who started donating blood before the discontinuation of the MBS in 2002 continue to receive benefits under the scheme. There are currently 652 such individuals.”
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not specifically track the number of adults and children who received subsidies for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices. Whether a CGM is subsidized or not, depends on its cost effectiveness, which, in turn, depends on the price quoted by the supply for the Singapore market. MOH is in constant discussion with suppliers and regularly reviews CGM models for subsidy coverage.”
“The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are fertility tests conducted prior to starting assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment. These are already recommended and subsidised after assessed by a medical doctor to be clinically indicated, for example, if the woman is less than 35 years of age and has tried to conceive naturally for one year. AMH and FSH are not the same as general health screenings supported under Healthier SG for the whole population. Instead, the medical doctor needs to take into account the health and underlying medical conditions of the couple, before prescribing it.”
“The Ministry of Health took the lead in developing the policy to protect healthcare workers against abuse and harassment, worked with Tripartite partners to develop the guidelines and support healthcare institutions in executing the policy. However, the Ministry does not centrally track the resolution and post-incident management outcomes of all abuse and harassment cases and does not plan to do so. It will not be helpful to create the impression that this is an exercise of setting, tracking and chasing numbers and KPIs. Healthcare institutions need to own and internalise the policy, carry them out, protect healthcare workers while being fair to patients and know that the Ministry stands behind them. We thank the Member for his concern for the welfare of healthcare workers and welcome him to let us know if there is any specific case that he wishes to bring to our attention.”
“About eight in 10 nursing graduates from local institutes of higher learning (IHLs) enter the nursing profession each year. Of these, about seven in 10 remain in the profession after five years. While the intakes of nursing students at local IHLs have increased from 2,100 in 2022 to nearly 2,300 in 2025, there is a limit to how much we can increase the intake. Young Singaporeans have diverse interests, and healthcare is already taking a good share of every cohort every year. To meet our long-term healthcare manpower needs, we will also need to find ways to further improve retention of existing nurses, recruit mid-career entrants through skills conversion and augment with foreign nurses. Through these measures, we remain on track to meet our long-term manpower needs, with local nurses remaining the core and majority of the nursing workforce.”
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not actively track the numbers requested by the Member. Nevertheless, parental consent is a barrier that may hinder minors' access to mental health services, especially when the parent may be one of the causes of the minor's mental distress. This is a concern that likely cuts across households of all income levels. MOH is currently developing guidelines to address this issue.”
“The guidelines are intended to guide care professionals in their provision of mental health services to young persons regardless of their gender and mental health symptoms. The guidelines aim to balance timely access to mental health support and ensuring parental involvement, while putting in place safeguards to keep young persons safe.”
“The Ministry of Health does not track the statistics which the Member has asked for. The marriage requirement for in-vitro fertilisation is aligned with existing position of the Government based on the social norm in our society, which is that marriage is between a man and a woman, who may decide to bring up children as a family unit.”
“The Ministry of Health receives about 40 appeals per year from women above 37, which are then assessed on a case-by-case basis. About 70% of them were approved based on individual circumstances. It is not advisable to remove the age limit completely. The quality of a woman's eggs declines over time and egg freezing allows women to freeze their eggs when younger, to improve the chances of pregnancy if used later. We should not remove that signal completely. That said, a successful pregnancy will still depend on many other factors, such as the age in which the implantation was conducted and the health of the couple.”
“In 2024, the Community Intervention Team (COMIT) and Community Resource, Engagement and Support Team (CREST) managed more than 15,000 cases and 18,000 cases, respectively. In that same year, 46% and 36% were discharged or had discontinued services with COMIT and CREST respectively. The distribution of sessions conducted for such cases is in Table 1 below. The Ministry of Health does not track the number of drop-outs or reasons for discontinuing services.”
“The Graduate Diploma for Mental Health equips medical professionals with added knowledge and skills to diagnose and manage individuals with mental health conditions. It has an average intake of about 25 medical professionals each year. The intake has gradually increased since the programme's inception and may be expanded if national needs increase.”
“There are several schemes to help seniors age in place. This includes the enhanced Home Personal Care scheme, which provides subsidised personal care at home. The Enhancement for Active Seniors programme (EASE) provides up to 95% subsidies on home modifications, such as grab bars and ramps. The Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) provides up to 90% subsidies for assistive devices like wheelchairs. The Home Caregiving Grant provides up to $600 per month to defray costs of care for seniors with moderate disability living in the community. These schemes were recently enhanced to ensure they continue to meet our seniors' needs. Eligibility for such support is based on the applicants' needs. A key consideration is their ability to perform Activities of Daily Living and not types of disability, so that we have an objective assessment across conditions. The Ministry of Health does not track the number of seniors living alone with severe lower limb mobility loss or bilateral amputation. As part of existing clinical and care pathways, therapists at public healthcare institutions or community service providers assess seniors' functional needs and recommend appropriate assistive devices, home modifications or both. Seniors may apply for EASE and SMF through their public healthcare institutions, community service providers or directly through the Housing and Development Board and the Agency for Integrated Care.”
“Providing kidney dialysis services involves challenging and hard work. We are fortunate to have good providers in the National Kidney Foundation as well as in other social service providers, such as Kidney Dialysis Foundation, with a 90:10 split in patient load share. They are non-profit, relying on donations to sustain their operations. The Ministry of Health welcomes additional social service providers to take on the challenge and will certainly partner them to diversify and strengthen the overall ecosystem.”
“All registered medical and dental practitioners are informed about the validity period of their Practising Certificates on their electronic copy. Regular reminders are also sent at least two months prior to the Practising Certificate renewal exercise by the Secretariat of healthcare Professional Boards (SPB) by email or hardcopy letter. Upon expiry of their Practising Certificates, SPB will then inform the practitioners that they must cease clinical practice until they apply for and are issued a new Practising Certificate. To support senior practitioners, occasional requests for communications to be directed to their children or spouse assisting them in administrative matters have been accommodated. Between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025, there were three practitioners aged 65 and above at the time of offence investigated for practising without a valid Practising Certificate. None were foreigners or repeat offenders.”
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) is aware of recent developments using mitochondrial replacement in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or “three-person” IVF that prevents the transmission of severe mitochondrial diseases from mothers who are carriers to their children. This involves the use of healthy mitochondria from a third-party donor to replace faulty maternal mitochondria. This procedure remains a novel and emerging approach. The Ministry will study the evidence from clinical trials and consider ethical implications as we continue to monitor international developments and research outcomes in this area.”
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) already has a Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)-preferred strategy. As for the timing of arteriovenous fistula creation for haemodialysis (HD), this is a clinical decision. In line with this, our financing policies keep dialysis affordable, regardless of whether patients undergo PD or HD. PD enables patients to lead a more active life and should rightly be preferred. However, there are operational impediments, such as worry of equipment breakdown at home and concern about lack of storage space at home. MOH will continue advancing our PD-preferred strategy through the National PD Home Support Programme.”
“It is challenging to achieve consistency because the subsidy frameworks at polyclinics and general practitioner (GP) clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) are different. For example, vaccination subsidies for the Pioneer Generation (PG) and the Merdeka Generation (MG) cardholders are means-tested at public healthcare institutions, while at CHAS GP clinics, the subsidy framework is kept simple, with all PG and MG cardholders enjoy a fixed dollar subsidy. Regardless, even if one is cheaper than the other, it is still due to Government subsidies.”
“In 2023, subsidised patients seeking outpatient treatment for mental health conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) incurred annual post-subsidy bills of around $300 to $500 at public and selected private settings on average, depending on the complexity of their condition. Out-of-pocket costs can be further offset through the MediSave 500/700 and Flexi-MediSave schemes. The Ministry routinely reviews our mainstream financing schemes based on such data. The Ministry recently announced an increase of MediSave withdrawal limits for CDMP treatments from $500 and $700 to $700 and $1,000 to better cover the post-subsidy bills for simple and complex chronic patients respectively, including those with chronic mental health conditions.”
“All healthcare professionals employed by the Community Intervention Teams (COMIT) are required to be competent in managing mental health needs. They commenced additional training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) at institutes of higher learning in 2024. To date, approximately 45% of COMIT healthcare professionals have completed CBT training, with the remainder expected to complete their training within the next two years.”
“Hospitals deal with a wide range of patient cases, where judgement matters greatly, so it all depends on the situation. In an accident and emergency (A&E) department, clinicians need to provide appropriate medical care, including life-saving interventions, based on the urgency of the patient's condition. Hospitals will therefore generally contact next-of-kins (NOK) as soon as possible. In cases where patients are not communicative, hospitals will try to establish the patient's identity and NOK's contact information through various means, such as hospital records. As a last resort, hospitals may work with the police to establish the patient's identity and contact the NOK accordingly.”
“Nutri-Grade grade sugar and saturated fat levels within a beverage category. So, within the category, say milk, we encourage the public to consume those with A and B ratings, instead of those with C and D ratings. The Nutri-Grade measures spur industry reformulation and enable consumers to make healthier, informed choices. Specifically for milk, full cream versions contain more saturated fat, the excessive consumption of which contributes to higher risk of childhood obesity, which can persist into adulthood. In line with dietary recommendations for young children aged one to two years, full-fat plain milk is still served in preschools. For older children, we encourage them to consume reduced-fat milk that is either Nutri-Grade A or B or meet the Healthier Choice Symbol guidelines and has the same beneficial nutrients as full-fat milk but with less saturated fat. Beverages containing unhealthy additives, such as non-nutritive sweeteners, are not served in schools even if they are Nutri-Grade B, as they may condition palates to sweet foods. Some members of the public have provided feedback that notwithstanding full-fat milk contains more saturated fat, we should make them available in school and allow students to make the choice. There are also underweight students who prefer full-fat milk. The Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board noted this feedback and will continue to review our nutrition policies to ensure they remain relevant and evidence based.”
“Medical records are provided and updated by healthcare professionals only. HealthHub displays selected medical information from a patient's medical records. Parents will be able to access, but not modify, their child's medical records reflected in HealthHub. They may write to contact_us@healthhub.sg with information on special circumstances that may affect access to their child's records. The Ministry of Health will assess such requests on a case-by-case basis.”
“The Government has taken various measures to curb smoking. These include public education, supporting smokers to quit, bans on tobacco advertising, tobacco taxes, restrictions on smoking in certain public spaces, standardised packaging with graphic health warnings and raising the minimum legal age. These measures, combined with Singaporeans exercising greater responsibility over their health, have brought smoking prevalence to an all-time low of 8.4%. There are other policy moves being suggested, such as banning flavoured tobacco products and implementing a nicotine-free generation policy. We will consider these options.”
“Since the launch of the national mindline 1771 in June 2025, the service has received more than 47,000 calls, messages and webchats. As of December 2025, the dropped-calls rate was approximately 12% but help-seekers can access help immediately via WhatsApp messaging and webchat 24/7. The national mindline 1771 is manned mainly by full-time counsellors and has plans to hire more to meet the demand. The service is also augmented by volunteers. As of December 2025, more than 25 volunteers have been trained and can be deployed when needed.”
“We are back to the first bucket. On the impact of the disruption, there is an immediate impact, which is supply we procure that comes through the Strait of Hormuz. One ingredient is helium, and I explained earlier, the impact is not big because we do not take our helium from there. Second is medical supplies. Our medical supplies that come through the Strait of Hormuz are very low, well below 1% of our medical supplies, and medical supplies in turn, is about 12% of our total healthcare costs. So, the impact is not significant and there is no tap on our stockpiles. But I think what we need to watch out for is the secondary domino effect. Because if petrochemical products are disrupted, then the raw materials to make gloves, syringes will be affected. Korea is affected because they make their own syringes. We import from suppliers, so, for now, we are not affected. If chemicals used to make drug substances are impacted, then drug suppliers will be impacted. The global supply chain is actually not a chain, it is a very intricate web. We need to monitor those downstream domino effects. As of now, because the immediate impact is not significant, our response should be to maintain our stockpile, especially for essential supplies, watch our usage, minimise wastage, work with our trusted suppliers – and we have very good relationships with them – and then, judge the moment to activate other contingency plans, if and when they are needed.”
“Let me address the issue on helium on MRI machines. Helium is used in small quantities as a cooling agent in MRI machines. They do not get topped up very frequently. So, our consumption of helium is actually small, and our supply of helium is largely not from the Middle East. So, MRI operations will not be affected for now.”
“Number one, you have to address the issue of insurance – and Members might know, we are in the process of drafting a new Act that will come to this Chamber to approve – so that genetic data cannot be used for insurance underwriting. And that will provide the assurance to many couples. Number two, we think it is more likely to be successful if you take a disease-specific approach, like FH or breast cancer, that is clearly linked to certain genetic conditions, and if tested positive, we know what the treatment pathway is, what the implications are, and the doctor can advise the patient what exactly to do or not to do. But to lump 80 diseases into one test, I think, it may be too much. So, MOH will take an interest in this. We will study how to implement this better because I think there is great potential for us to improve this.”
“Okay, the key reasons for not taking up. Because this is a preconception test, KKH does not really come into contact with preconception couples. They come into contact with pregnant couples. So, therefore, the only contact points they have are the fertility clinics and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics. The couples there, I believe, just want to get pregnant. So, if you tell them about genetic tests and possible illnesses their child may have, I think they are probably not in the frame of mind to process the information. And for many of them, I would think, love children and they will say, "Regardless of the situation, I am going to love the kid", and good for them. The second reason, I strongly suspect – we have not done any study about the reasons – is actually insurance. That if you are tested positive for a genetic condition, couples will ask, "Then what happens to my insurance?" And thirdly, I think PREDICT covers just too many diseases, 80 diseases. May be more than 80. And for about 100 genetic conditions. It is just too much for couples to digest. This programme was designed between the Temasek Foundation, the sponsor, and KKH. As the Member may know, I take a particular interest in genomics because I think it has the potential to transform and improve our healthcare system. This Parliamentary Question has piqued my interest. I think the Ministry of Health (MOH) will want to dive into this PREDICT programme. I think it has the potential. Members might be aware of some of the protocols that we have set up – one for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), and recently, for BReast CAncer genes (BRCA) 1 and 2 – and there are certain principles that we adopt when we implement genomics in healthcare.”
“The Parenthood Genetic Disease Carrier Test (PREDICT) programme is a pilot project to enhance prenatal screening of carriers of recessive genetic disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy and Pompe disease. While it is offered to almost all couples that KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) is attending to, fewer than 1,300 couples showed interest and wish to participate in the pilot programme. These couples were then invited to undergo genetic counselling so that they understand how to interpret the results and potential implications. Many couples did not complete the mandatory genetic counselling or decide not to proceed after the genetic counselling. So, today, about 800 couples have gone through the tests. The earlier target set was obviously too ambitious, and we will review both the target and the pilot with KKH and Temasek Foundation, which is funding the programme.”
“Under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS), measles and diphtheria vaccinations are compulsory for children aged 12 and below who are residing in Singapore. In 2024, the measles vaccination coverages at two and seven years were 93% and 97% respectively. For diphtheria, the vaccination coverages at two and eleven years of age were 89% and 95% respectively. The vaccination coverage rate for Singaporeans and Permanent Resident children have both remained high for years and can be found in the Reports on Communicable Diseases Surveillance in Singapore. Foreign students aged 12 years and below are required to submit documented proof of vaccination or evidence of immunity for diphtheria and measles to the National Immunisation Registry for verification before applying for long-term immigration passes in Singapore. Because of these measures and co-operation of all students and their families, we could maintain the herd immunity against measles and diphtheria.”
“The Ministry of Health is aware of Taiwan's programme, which provides low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan for lung cancer screening for the general population, so long as individuals are either heavy smokers or have a family history of lung cancer. In Singapore, lung cancer screening with LDCT is currently recommended only for current or previous heavy smokers in Singapore. This is based on the recommendations of the Screening Test Review Committee, after it reviewed relevant evidence. The salient facts are: First, smokers make up around 60% of lung cancer cases in Singapore, which is far higher than the proportion of smokers in the population. Healthcare providers can exercise clinical discretion to offer lung cancer screening to patients with a history of heavy smoking, who are eligible and at risk. Second, each LDCT exposes the individual to over half a year's worth of background radiation. This is within safe limits, but if LDCT becomes part of routine and recurrent preventive care screening – like a blood test – we cannot rule out the negative effects of repeated exposure, which may lead to accumulation of risk to health over one's lifetime. Finally, LDCT scans have a relatively high false positive detection rate which leads to unnecessary tests and invasive procedures being performed to exclude the diagnosis of cancer. This causes distress, anxiety and further risk exposure from additional invasive procedures, such as biopsies. The current evidence therefore does not show that the benefits of screening non-smokers for lung cancer outweigh the potential downsides of screening. With healthcare technology advancing rapidly, the Ministry of Health will continue to monitor any emerging evidence on the suitability of lung cancer screening for non-smokers.”
“Patients with tuberculosis (TB) can seek financial assistance to cover travel expenses and lost income related to completing Directly Observed Therapy (DOT), through the Medical Social Workers (MSWs) at the National Tuberculosis Care Centre and polyclinics. Eligible residents may receive support through Government financial assistance schemes, such as MediFund, ComCare's Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance and the Agency for Integrated Care's long-term care scheme. In addition, the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association CommHealth's DOT and Shop scheme provides grocery vouchers and transport allowances to eligible individuals to promote adherence. TB treatment is also heavily subsidised for residents. We are progressively adopting a risk-based approach, where patients who have demonstrated good adherence can transition to Video Observed Therapy or reduced frequency of DOT.”
“The Government is indeed concerned about the drop in the number of youth donors, due to Singapore's declining youth population and their waning interest in blood donation. Over the past year, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has been working closely with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and its partners to roll out campaigns and outreach activities targeted at the youths to recruit them as donors or volunteers to champion blood donation. For example, thematic donation campaigns, such as the collaboration with PeanutsTM, ARTBOX and Pop Mart; SRC's youth-led volunteer club, YouthInspire, launched in June 2024 which has seen close to 1,000 youths signing up as volunteers at present; and the inaugural National Blood Dialogue with youths in September 2025 to catalyse interest and conversations amongst youth about blood donation. To ensure a sustainable national blood supply, HSA will continue to enhance its recruitment, retention and recognition efforts to recruit more new donors, convert new and non-regular donors to become regular donors and enhance the recognition of regular blood donors. HSA and SRC will also step up outreach and partnerships with workplaces to "Adopt a Bloodbank" or be our Blood Partners to create sustained participation and ensure a stable pool of regular donors. HSA is also collaborating closely with the hospitals and clinicians to implement good evidence-based transfusion practices to better manage blood demand that could optimise patient outcomes whilst conserving blood resources.”
“Plans to conduct another national mental health study are already underway. More details will be announced soon.”
“That is not quite accurate. If you are talking about riders, if you do not have a rider at all, yes, you do co-pay the 10%. If you are considering, I go to a private hospital where my bill may run up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and I want to protect myself against that 10% co-payment, yes, a rider may be suitable for you. But do remember, as you get older, in your 70s, in your 80s, premium runs up to $10,000 a year. Without that rider, you are saving that premium. So, do your calculations. Talk to your financial advisor. But if you are always seeking care in a subsidised public health setting, MediShield Life kicks in, plus subsidies, it is very unlikely you are exposed to tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars of exposure should you fall sick. Then, consider whether a rider is suitable for you. Remember, that in a public health institution, when you cannot afford it, there is MediFund that you can always apply for.”
“It is a challenge when attention span is so short and you try to put so much information in a short video. I am not surprised the insurance industry gave you that feedback, but I think the video and the information that we have been putting out is a serious one, which is you have to examine if you really need a rider. Let us go back a bit. The purpose of insurance is to cover expenses that we cannot afford. For most of us, it is because if we have a big inpatient episode running into tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars, a big bill, the insurance plus subsidy can cover it. The rider does not do that job. We put cancer aside, the rider covers co-payment. The rider covers deductibles and the 5% co-payment. That is the core purpose of the rider. Therefore, look at it carefully. Talk to your financial advisor. Given your premium, as you get older, the rider premium goes up the most, balance the cost and benefit to see if a rider is suitable for you. I think the core message of the video continues to be accurate, that we should really take a look at our financial needs, what risks are we trying to protect and examine – do I need a rider? If I need a rider, will the new riders that the insurance companies are introducing in April, where you cover less of co-payment but at a much lower cost, are they more suitable for me? Take those steps. Needs are varying. Different people have different needs. Some really wish to pay more premium in order to cover as much as you can. So be it. But for others, especially those who use public health institutions, use subsidised care, take a close look if you really need the rider.”
“I am not going to immediately say "Yes, good idea", or "No, we will reject it". I think it is an interesting idea. As I say, we review the scheme every year. I do want to see how we can create more flexibility and we will take your suggestion into account.”
“I will answer the last question and for the first two questions, Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will answer. Social prescription, can it be tracked? Realistically, it cannot be tracked, because it is your life. We are there to provide the support, the funding, to make it as easy as you can come to the AAC to participate. But as to what you do with your life, I am afraid I cannot track it and I do not think I should track it. But please enrol for Healthy 365 – at least, the app will help you track.”
“I will put Mr Pritam Singh's suggestion into our wish list, which is getting quite long. We review this every year and the next time, we will review the wish list entirely. But to manage the Member's expectation a little bit, the focus of MediSave, I totally get the tension between big lumpy episodes versus recurrent expenses. But all these are done in the context of ensuring subsidised healthcare is affordable and minimising out-of-pocket expenses for Singaporeans. Additional withdrawal limits are for private insurance. So, we will keep that in mind. As for the Member's first question, there are so many indicators in MOH. If the Member files a Parliamentary Question, I will have so many indicators to tell him that we are monitoring and that includes waiting times, Emergency Departments, polyclinics, bed occupancy rates, average length of stay across different settings. These are the immediate operational indicators. Medium-term, we are hoping to make some impact in terms of enrolment into Healthier SG, follow up with the check-ups, rate of screening, rate of vaccinations. And in the even longer term, the health of the population, in terms of prevalence of chronic diseases, mortality rate for cancer, for example. So, the range of key performance indicators (KPIs) runs into hundred and beyond, but we will continue to monitor all of them.”
“Some of the basic steps — It is like a fruit tree. We go for the lowest hanging. Then, we go higher and higher. Sometimes, we think of the highest first. The lowest is what Dr Haresh mentioned. We got to stick to one doctor, one GP, where he becomes our family doctor, advises us on the health of our family. Hence, Healthier SG. So, a new town, like Tengah, please go for it and get as many people as we can, enrol for Healthier SG. After that, ensure that they follow up with their check-ups, with their vaccinations, with their health screening. It will help if the Member promotes anti-smoking, enforce against vapes. All these are very basic steps to ensure good health. Put all these in place. Beyond that, we will be more than happy to work with Dr Choo, with other agencies, to see what other health programmes we can implement in the Tengah town.”
“On HBOC, I hope I get the Member's question right. We actually did the modelling because risk-reducing mastectomy saves future treatment costs and overall, actually, the impact on MediShield Life is quite negligible, which is why we are prepared to do this.”
“But we will have a go. We will try. We will take in the suggestion. We will try our best. Since I am standing here, I will answer on behalf of Minister of State Rahayu. Working with other agencies in the community for the north, we might be thinking of different things. On more halal food choices, healthy choices, let us sit together and see whether we can work together with other agencies, including the National Environment Agency. But what we are thinking about is actually a care model, not so much just food. We will look into that. But a care model where we encourage residents to do early check-ups, enrol for Healthier SG, with the support of a CHP that makes things very easy, a very convenient touchpoint that, together, with local Members of Parliament and advisors, we can make sure that more people respond to our preventive care push.”
“I will start with the second question, AI scaling. The points she made, we agree. So, I do not have much to add, but I think Ms Mariam Jaafar is also aware of all the steps we have taken, and she mentioned that in her cut. In terms of IT infrastructure, NEHR, Next Generation Electronic Medical Records, HEALIX, AI Medical Imaging Platform for Singapore public healthcare. We set up all this quietly in the background, and then at the same time, strengthened cybersecurity. So, a lot of background work has been done. We are now, therefore, in a position where we are ready to say if a use case proves to be useful in a hospital in a particular sandbox, we can scale it up. That took many years of preparation. And I think we are ready to do that now in a very proactive way. As for MediSave, it is difficult to do modelling. We can. But the fact is, the needs across the population are so different. Sometime back, we gave an answer in Parliament how much MediSave is left at the point of demise for someone aged 85 and above, when they die. And so, we collated the data from 2017 to 2021. Two in 10 have less than $1,000; five in 10 have $1,000 to $10,000; three in 10 have more than $10,000. So, is it excessive? It depends on who we are talking about. Those with $10,000, $30,000. I think that is a lot. Those with less than $1,000, I think is barely enough. We really need to save their MediSave towards their old age. So, I think some Members have raised this suggestion: can we have a bit more flexibility based on balances? Can we free up the rules a bit? It is conceptually correct, but it is not so easy. It is not a matter of modelling, but being able to cater to individual circumstances. For a scheme that applies to the whole population, it is never easy to do precise policy.”