Existing Cancer Patients to claim under current scheme until new MediShield Life changes take effect and expected savings for MediShield Life

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Leong Mun Wai
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament

Question No. 1089

To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether existing cancer patients will be able to claim under the current scheme until the new MediShield Life changes come into effect in September 2022; and (b) what are the expected savings for MediShield Life with the new scheme, assuming drug prices remain constant.

Written Answer

The current MediShield Life chemotherapy claim limits will continue until the changes take effect in September 2022.

The MediShield Life changes will help to slow down the increase in cost of cancer drugs, as it supports more effective negotiations with drug suppliers for better drug prices and encourages the use of clinically proven and cost-effective treatments. Hence, it is not meaningful to estimate savings assuming drug prices remain constant.

Over the past few months, we have achieved an average price reduction of 30%, and over 60% for some drugs. The exact impact of the changes will depend on various factors, including the changes in utilisation patterns and whether the drug suppliers are willing to reduce their prices further.