SUGGESTION ON DIRECT MEDISAVE DEDUCTIONS FOR PRENATAL MEDICAL EXPENSES TO BE STUDIED

We thank Tan Chu Quan for her letter, “Allow prenatal medical expenses to be deducted directly from MediSave before childbirth” (opens in new tab) (Oct 26).

We recognise that upfront payment of prenatal medical expenses, such as for medical consultations and investigations, may be challenging for families.

Under the MediSave Maternity Package, MediSave can be used to help pay for maternity-related expenses. This includes up to $900 for pre-delivery medical expenses, such as consultations and ultrasound scans, on top of the applicable MediSave withdrawal limits for delivery procedures and hospital stays.

Currently, parents can submit their pre-delivery medical bills to the hospital where their baby is delivered. The hospital will then submit these bills, together with the delivery expenses, for MediSave claims.

We appreciate the writer’s feedback and will study her suggestion to allow MediSave to be used as and when prenatal medical expenses are incurred. We are also looking at other ways to better support couples in their fertility and maternal healthcare journeys as part of the Marriage & Parenthood Reset Workgroup’s next set of recommendations.

Justin How
Director (Finance Policy), Healthcare Finance Group
Ministry of Health