Fee benchmarks provide stakeholders a reasonable range of fees for common surgical procedures

Notice Paper No 1462
Notice of Question for Written Answer

For the sitting of parliament on 14 January 2019

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Prof Fatimah Lateef
MP for Marine Parade GRC

Question No 1071

To ask the Minister for Health how does the Ministry intend to monitor the acceptance and compliance of the recently published fee benchmarks for surgical procedures at private hospitals.

Answer

The objective of publishing fee benchmarks is to provide all stakeholders a reference on the reasonable ranges of professional fees for common surgical procedures in the private sector.  The benchmarks will guide private sector healthcare providers in charging appropriately.  They will also enable patients and payers to make more informed decisions.

Doctors should take reference from the benchmarks in setting their fees and advising their patients.  They should also be prepared to explain to patients where their charges exceed the range, such as when addressing a highly complex case or in exceptional circumstances. 

Today, MOH already monitors overall hospital bill sizes and doctors’ charges.  Where we observe charging patterns that could be of concern, we will query the healthcare providers, investigate and take follow up actions if necessary. 

MOH welcomes feedback on the fee benchmarks.  These would help to guide future review and refinement of the benchmarks.