IP coverage of hospice care

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Tan Wu Meng

MP for Jurong GRC

Question No. 281

To ask the Minister for Health (a) which private insurers cover admission to inpatient hospices as part of their Integrated Shield Plans; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider requiring all private Integrated Shield Plan insurers to cover inpatient hospice admission just as they presently cover restructured hospital admissions.

Oral Reply

1.        Hospice care, or end-of-life care, is available in an inpatient hospice or in the home setting.  Together with Medishield Life, the Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) are designed mainly to cover large hospital bills.  Hospice care is covered under some riders such as Great Eastern’s Total Health Riders and AXA’s Home Care Riders.  MOH does not require IPs to cover hospice care, as an expansion of IP benefits will inevitably result in higher premiums for all policyholders.    

2.        In assessing whether palliative care should be covered by IPs, we need to look at whether the services are affordable for most Singaporeans.  Based on data collected by MOH, hospice care is affordable with a combination of Government subsidies, charity dollars and Medisave. About 8 out of 10 inpatient hospice bills did not require out-of-pocket cash payment while about 9 in 10 home palliative care patients did not have to make out-of-pocket cash payment for their care. Needy patients who require further assistance can receive financial support through Medifund.

3.        MOH regularly reviews the amount of Government subsidies and Medisave use for hospice care to ensure it remains affordable for patients and sustainable for providers.  We are also working with community partners to enhance accessibility to palliative care services by increasing capacity for palliative care across the in-patient, home and community settings.