Medisave cap sufficient to cover stays in subsidised wards

MOH's Reply

The Straits Times, 10 November 2014

Medisave cap sufficient to cover stays in subsidised wards

MR DAVID Goh Kia Ngan ("Time to review Medisave cap for hospital bills"; Oct 30) suggested increasing the Medisave daily withdrawal limit of $450 to enable more B2 bills to be covered.

Patients using Class B2 wards enjoy up to 65 per cent government subsidies. To help pay for their bills, patients can make use of Medisave and MediShield. As Medisave is meant to cater for our lifetime health-care needs, withdrawal limits are in place to ensure that patients have sufficient funds for their medical needs during retirement.

These limits are generally sufficient to cover a patient's stay in a subsidised ward (Class B2 or C) at a public hospital.

Last year, patients paid from zero amount to $100 in cash for three-quarters of subsidised Class B2 or C hospital bills, with the rest met through Medisave and insurance payouts.
The introduction of MediShield Life at the end of next year will ensure that all Singaporeans have basic health insurance coverage for life, regardless of age or health conditions. Those already covered will enjoy greater benefits, including higher daily limits for hospital stays and higher surgical limits.

These changes will further reduce the patient's co-payment for large bills.

We encourage those in need of further assistance to approach the medical social workers in our public health-care institutions, who will be able to provide financial advice and assess their eligibility for further assistance.

Lim Bee Khim (Ms)
Director
Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health

Forum Letter

The Straits Times, 30 October 2014

Time to review Medisave cap for hospital bills

THE Pioneer Generation Package has gone some way towards helping the elderly pay for their outpatient medical treatments.

However, one area may have been overlooked - the cap on how much a person can draw from his Medisave account to cover his hospital bills.

The figure has remained at $450 a day since 2007, even though health-care costs have risen significantly since then.

The amount is not enough to cover the cost of a hospital stay in a B2 ward, with medication and treatment.

This means senior citizens may have to make up the difference in cash, and some could face difficulty in this.

If the cap is raised to $500, it would allow more elderly patients to pay their entire bill using Medisave. This would give them greater peace of mind when they are hospitalised.

Most would rather use their Medisave funds than depend on charity.

David Goh Kia Ngan