Scheme to reduce healthcare costs available

MOH's Reply (English)

Lianhe Zaobao, 11 April 2015

Schemes to reduce healthcare costs available

In the letter “请教卫生部三个问题” (14 Mar), Mr Teo Ban Hin raised a few questions related to his medical fees when he experienced a fall last year.

Mr Teo asked why he could not use Medisave to pay for his Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan at a specialist orthopaedic clinic last year. Since 1 Jan 2015, the Government has expanded Medisave use to allow up to $300 each year to be used to cover outpatient scans for diagnosis and treatment of various conditions, beyond cancer. This would include the MRI scan for Mr Teo’s fall. Aside from Medisave use, all subsidised patients at public hospital specialist outpatient clinics (SOC) receive a 50 per cent subsidy for subsidised services – including scans – and subsidised medications, and this has been increased to 70% and 60% for lower- to middle- income subsidised patients respectively.  Together, these measures help to reduce the cash payment of patients. 

Mr Teo was also unable to return to SGH to collect his subsidised medications as a result of his fall, and purchased medication from CGH instead. Currently, subsidies for medication are available at the public healthcare institution that patients are being treated at.  This is to ensure that they receive holistic medical care management at the same institution. Nevertheless, we do recognise that there can be flexibility to cater for different circumstances. For patients’ convenience, patients who are unable to visit their hospital’s pharmacy to collect the medication prescribed by their doctors can consider using the hospital’s home delivery service. Patients can check with the respective pharmacies for the details of this service.  MOH will continue to work with the institutions to improve their services to patients.  

Mr Teo also visited Bedok polyclinic as the bandage (包扎纱布) wrapped around his back slab (撑架) was loose. The doctor was concerned that the back slab had loosened as well, and that re-adjustment would affect the alignment and slow down the recovery process. Therefore, Mr Teo was advised to return to the hospital where he was first treated.

We have contacted Mr Teo to better understand his concerns and we wish him a full recovery.

Ms Lim Bee Khim
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health

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Forum Letter (English)

Lianhe Zaobao (14 Mar)

Three Questions for MOH

Mr Zhao Wan Xing had a few questions regarding his medical fees and subsidies which he wanted to enquire on. Mr Zhao had a fall recently and went for MRI scanning, for which he was not able to use funds from Medisave to pay. He was also not entitled to subsidies when he purchased medicine from Changi General Hospital (CGH), unlike at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he was able to get a 50 per cent government subsidy. After his bandage had loosened and the metal plate inside had shifted, he went to Bedok polyclinic to get it properly bandaged but was told to go back to the hospital to fix it. Zhao wanted to know:

(i) Why Medisave could not be used to pay for non-cancer related MRI scans;

(ii) Why his medicine was subsidised in SGH but not in CGH and;

(iii) Why polyclinics were not able to fix patients' bandages.

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MOH's Reply (Chinese)

有减轻医药负担的计划

答复

谨答复《联合早报·交流站》于3月14日刊登的赵万兴读者投函《请教卫生部三个问题》：

在去年摔伤并因此需要承担一些医疗费用的赵先生，想要知道他为什么不能动用保健储蓄，来支付他去年在骨科专科诊所进行“磁共振成

像”（MRI）扫描的费用。

自2015年1月1日开始，政府便扩大保健储蓄的用途，除了癌症外，人们每年也可以使用不超过300元，来支付门诊时其他疾病的扫描。这包

括赵先生进行的扫描。除了动用保健储蓄，在公共医院专科诊所看病的受津贴病人，也可以从受津贴的服务——包括扫描和受津贴的药物——得

到50%的津贴。低、中收入受津贴病人可以得到的津贴，也已分别调高到70%和60%。

赵先生因为不方便到中央医院补购即将吃完的药物，便到樟宜综合医院购买。目前，病人只可以在他们接受治疗的公共医院，才能享有药物

津贴。这是为了确保他们在同样的医院得到全面的照顾。不过，我们也了解到，一些特殊的情况可以灵活处理。病人若不方便到医院的药房拿医

生配给的药物，可以考虑使用医院的宅送服务。他们可以向有关的药房查询详情。卫生部将继续同医院合作，进一步改善为病人提供的服务。

由于包扎在撑架的纱布松了，赵先生前往勿洛综合诊所求助。但是，医生担心撑架也移了位，重新调整可能会影响复原的进度，因此便劝请

他回到原来的医院矫正。

我们也联络了赵先生，进一步了解他的情况。希望他早日康复。

卫生部
行政传播司司长
林美琴

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Forum Letter (Chinese)

请教卫生部三个问题

赵万兴

不久前，我从高处摔下，弄伤双脚。进了医院后，遵医嘱做了“磁共振成像”（MRI）扫描看我有无骨折或骨断。扣除了政府津贴后，还得

付相当昂贵的费用，却不能动用保健储蓄来缴费。

也因为跌伤的缘故，我不方便到中央医院补购即将吃完的慢性病药物，只好到离家较近的樟宜综合医院购买，那里知道取药后我得付全费，

无法得到在中央医院可以享有的50%政府津贴。

由于包扎在脚的纱布几天后松绑，内置的铁板也移了位，我到勿洛综合诊所寻求帮助，没想到却被拒绝，医生说我必须重回医院矫正。

请问卫生部:

一、为何只有与癌症有关的MRI，才能用保健储蓄来缴费？

二、同样是政府医院，为何同一种药物在中央医院享有津贴，在樟宜医院却没有？

三、为何综合诊所不能替病人重新包扎纱布？