KEEPING HEALTHCARE AFFORDABLE

With over 20% of our citizens aged 65 and above, Singapore is now a super-aged society. The Ministry of Health (MOH) continues to strengthen population health initiatives while ensuring the robustness and efficiency of our healthcare system.  We are committed to delivering good outcomes as we build a sustainable and equitable foundation for our super-healthy society.

 Enhancements to the MediSave500/700 Scheme

2.             To better support patients with chronic conditions and encourage preventive care, MOH will, from 1 January 2027, enhance the existing MediSave500/700 limits, and also rename it as the “MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care” scheme, to better reflect its purpose in supporting chronic disease management and preventive care.  We will also expand coverage of the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP).

Raising MediSave Withdrawal Limits for Chronic and Preventive Care

3.             Under the MediSave500/700 scheme, Singaporeans can use MediSave to pay for their outpatient treatment of chronic conditions under the CDMP as well as selected vaccinations and preventive tests[1] at polyclinics, MediSave-accredited General Practitioner (GP) clinics and Specialist Outpatient Clinics. Withdrawals under the scheme are tiered, with higher annual withdrawals of $700 allowed for those with complex chronic conditions requiring more intensive management, and $500 for other patients.

4.             To help patients better meet their chronic care and preventive care needs, MOH will enhance the withdrawal limits under the MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care scheme from 1 January 2027:

a. The basic annual limit will be increased from $500 to $700; and

b. The annual limit for patients with complex chronic conditions will be increased from $700 to $1,000.

5.             These enhanced limits will help approximately 915,000 patients who currently utilise the scheme annually to better manage their out-of-pocket costs for regular consultations and medications as well as selected vaccinations and preventive tests.

CDMP Extended to Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism

6.             The CDMP currently covers major chronic conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lipid disorders, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To provide more comprehensive support for patients with thyroid disorders, MOH will expand the CDMP to include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism from January 2027.

7.             Patients diagnosed with these thyroid conditions will be able to benefit from the enhanced MediSave Chronic and Preventive limit as well as receive CHAS subsidies for their ongoing treatment and management. This is expected to benefit more than 53,000 patients with thyroid disorders.

8.             MOH is also studying other chronic conditions, such as eczema, for inclusion in the CDMP, and will provide an update when ready.

Enhancing Preventive Care through Genetic Testing for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer

9.             Genetic testing, which reveals an individual’s pre-disposition to developing certain diseases and informs downstream management, is a key prong of Singapore’s precision medicine and preventive care strategy. As part of our ongoing efforts in this space, MOH will extend subsidised genetic testing to Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) from December 2026. This builds on our earlier extension of financing to Familial Hypercholesterolaemia in June 2025.

10.          1 in 150 Singaporeans carry a mutation of HBOC-associated genes, which substantially increases an individual’s risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. This is a hereditary condition, which means that it can be passed down in families. Females with HBOC-associated gene variants face a lifetime risk of up to about 60% for breast cancer and up to about 50% for ovarian cancer, compared to about 13% and 12% respectively in the general female population.

11.          Currently, when an individual is identified to have hereditary mutation(s) in HBOC-associated genes through genetic testing, they will be recommended for intensified surveillance (e.g. more frequent mammograms for those at risk for hereditary breast cancer) or other risk-reducing measures (e.g. risk-reducing surgeries, chemoprevention). Clinicians will also recommend that the individual’s family members undergo the same genetic test so that they can also benefit from earlier intervention if tested positive.

Subsidies and MediSave for Genetic Testing and Downstream Interventions

12.          The suite of interventions for HBOC – from the genetic test to downstream follow-up and interventions – has been assessed by the Agency for Care Effectiveness to be clinically and cost-effective. Hence, MOH will extend mainstream financing to the HBOC genetic test and relevant downstream interventions from December 2026, similar to what we had done for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia since June 2025.

13.          For the HBOC genetic test, we will extend subsidies and MediSave coverage:

a. Eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents can enjoy means-tested subsidies of up to 70% for these costs. Seniors from the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation are eligible for additional subsidies.

b. The enhanced MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care scheme limits[2] can be used to further offset the cost of the genetic test after subsidies.

c.  Patients who are 60 years old and above may also use Flexi-MediSave to further defray out-of-pocket costs fully.

14.          For relevant downstream interventions, such as certain drug treatments and intensified surveillance, these will continue to be supported with subsidies and MediSave coverage[3]. By ensuring affordability of these downstream interventions, we will facilitate early detection and management of cancers among those who test positive for HBOC.

15.          More details about the financing support for the necessary genetic tests and relevant downstream interventions will be shared later this year.

MediShield Life Coverage of Risk-Reducing Surgeries

16.          We will also strengthen financing coverage for risk-reducing surgeries.  Today, risk-reducing surgeries are subsidised, but not covered by MediShield Life nor MediSave. As the national health insurance scheme, MediShield Life coverage is focused on medically necessary treatments for illness or injury, to keep premiums affordable for policyholders. As such, the scheme does not cover preventive interventions.

17.          However, with advances in medical science, there are greater overlaps between preventive and therapeutic care. Preventive interventions for high-risk individuals are increasingly being viewed as medically necessary, if without them, there is a high chance that patients will develop disease and require even more intensive treatment at that point.

18.          Hence, in consultation with the MediShield Life Council, MOH has decided to extend MediShield Life to cover preventive surgeries in selected instances, where the  surgeries are (i) medically indicated[4]; (ii) high-cost and of low incidence, and therefore suitable for risk-pooling; and (iii) cost-neutral or cost-saving to the scheme and do not impact affordability of premiums.  

19.          Based on these principles, we will extend MediShield Life coverage for risk-reducing surgeries associated with the management of HBOC – (i) risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) which removes the breasts, and (ii) risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRBSO) which removes both the fallopian tubes and ovaries, for patients who test positive for HBOC and opt for these surgeries. MediSave use will also be extended to pay for the remaining copayment.

20.          MOH is working towards implementing MediShield Life coverage for RRM by Q3 2026, with RRBSO coverage targeted for Q4 2026. Details on the MediShield Life coverage and MediSave use will be shared nearer to their introduction.

21.          We will continue to carefully assess whether to extend MediShield Life for other preventive surgeries on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the MediShield Life Council, to ensure that expansions are scoped carefully to keep premiums for Singaporeans affordable.

[1] These comprise (i) recommended vaccinations on the National Adult Immunisation Schedule and the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule, (ii) screening mammograms and neonatal screenings, and (iii) approved genetic tests for Familial Hypercholesterolemia at the Genomic Assessment Centres.

[2] The rollout of genetic testing for HBOC is expected to be in end-2026, ahead of the implementation of the new “MediSave Chronic and Preventive” scheme from 2027. In the interim, the existing MediSave500/700 limits will similarly be extended to pay for the cost of the genetic test in end-2026.

[3] At present, the MediSave Outpatient Scans limit of $600/year can be used to pay for the copayment of intensified surveillance. Additionally, seniors who are 60 years old and above may use their Flexi-MediSave limit of $400/year to pay for intensified surveillance and chemoprevention.

[4] This means that the patient has tested positive for associated genes and has been recommended by a clinician to undergo the relevant treatment and/or surgery.

Annex