Press Releases
Extension Of Government Subsidy For Nursing Home And Home Care To Private Nursing Homes
28 March 2003
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28 Mar 2003
From 1 April 2003, elderly Singaporeans who meet the medical/nursing and financial criteria for nursing home services can seek subsidised care in four private nursing homes. It is estimated that about 150 elderly will be able to benefit from this scheme. The elderly can also benefit from subsidised home care services provided by these private nursing homes.
Currently, subsidy for nursing home care is available only for patients admitted to VWO nursing homes. There are 51 nursing homes, of which 27 (4,815 beds) are run by VWOs and 24 (1,864 beds) are run by private operators.
Approved Private Nursing Home Providers
Four private nursing homes have been accredited as approved providers for subsidised nursing home care. These are:
- East Coast Medicare Centre
- Nightingale Nursing Home
- The Lentor Residence
- United Medicare Centre
They were selected from the private nursing homes which had applied to be approved provider under the scheme announced by Minister for Health Mr Lim Hng Kiang last November at a dialogue session with step down care providers. Approved providers must meet MOH's facility, staff and service criteria. This is to ensure the quality of care to be delivered.
Three nursing homes - Nightingale Nursing Home, East Coast Medicare Centre and The Lentor Residence - were approved to provide subsidised home care services (home medical and home nursing care) as well.
Who can qualify for subsidy
Under the scheme, only Category III and IV patients who pass the means test can apply for subsidised care at the 4 accredited private nursing homes. Patients requiring nursing home care will be assessed and classified according to their functional status and care needs. There are 4 functional categories, Category I to IV, with Category IV being the most severely disabled, requiring the highest level of assistance and supervision in activities of daily living (Annex 1). These categories are also used by the VWO nursing homes.
Existing Category III and IV patients in the 4 private nursing homes, who meet the income criteria, can undergo a means test to assess eligibility for subsidy. These patients can contact the nursing homes directly for assistance. Patients in the public hospitals requiring nursing home care can approach the medical social workers. Other patients requiring further information can contact the Integrated Care Service at Tel 63577682.
Category I and II patients are physically and mentally more independent and hence they do not need to be institutionalised in a nursing home. There are already a range of services in the community, such as day care, day rehabilitation, dementia day care and home care services, to cater to the needs of such patients.
Amount of Subsidy
Eligibility for subsidy will be determined through a standardised means test and 3-tier subsidy framework of 75%, 50% and 25%, which has been implemented in all step down care services. Means testing is an objective and equitable method to determine the level of subsidies according to patients' family income; the highest quantum of subsidy will be given to those with the least ability to pay. The subsidy will be paid directly to the provider upon utilisation of approved care.
The amount of subsidy will be pegged to MOH's estimated cost (Table 1) for basic services such as bed, meals, medical and nursing care, medication and maintenance rehabilitation. However, the actual bill after Government's subsidy may vary from patient to patient, as each patient will have different care needs. Those needing more specialised nursing care such as tube feeding, stoma care, oxygen and intravenous therapy can expect to pay higher charges.
Table 1: Three Levels of Government Subsidy
Table caption
Subsidy Rate | 75% | 50% | 25% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Per capital family income | Less than $300 | $301 to $700 | $701 to $1,000 | |
Subsidy Per Day | ||||
Category III | $27.00 | $18.00 | $9.00 | |
Category IV | $37.50 | $25.00 | $12.50 | |
Subsidy Per Visit | ||||
Home Medical | $90.00 | $60.00 | $30.00 | |
Home Nursing | $41.25 | $27.50 | $13.75 | |
More choice for patients
The extension of subsidy to private nursing homes will help to "level the playing field" between the VWO and private sectors, incentivise the nursing home sector to raise the standard of nursing home care and lower the cost of services to the users. In addition, lower income Singaporeans will now have a choice of seeking nursing home care in private nursing homes and together with Eldershield and IDAPE, which provide payouts for elderly with expenses arising from nursing home and home care needs, they can expect to have lower out-of-pocket payouts.
Click here for the Name And Address of the 4 Approved Providers.