Work-Related Injuries; Employer's responsibility to take care of worker

12 Mar 2011, The Straits Times

Question

Name of the Person: Tan Suan Tiu (Mr)

Worker's hefty bill affects company too

MR TAN Guan Seng's letter ('Worker served with $147,000 C-class bill'; Jan29) and the response from National University Hospital on the same day ('Patient turned down advice on subsidies') caused me concern as a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME).

My workers are covered by the Work Injury Compensation Act (Wica) and basic health insurance. In addition, they are encouraged to use a small part of their bonus to pay for additional MediShield coverage as it has portability benefits.

But Mr Tan's example suggests that if a worker is injured in the course of work, he suffers again as the government subsidies - designed to be generous to Singaporeans - are withdrawn and the worker is left to fend for himself after the employer's Wica liability exceeds the limit. Worse, it seems that where high- dependency treatment has to be administered, the MediShield coverage is insufficient.

SMEs are caught between a rock and a hard place if their employees are mired in medical liabilities.

An employer may have to retrench staff if he is to help such a worker pay a hefty sum in medical charges.

Or, he can let the worker fend for himself which will inevitably mean having to contend with an exhausted worker who tries to find other ways to pay off his hospital debt.

Why must the Ministry of Health's policy insist on the withdrawal of medical subsidies in work-related injuries? Businesses are taxpayers too.

Reply

Name of the Person: Farah Abdul Rahim (Ms)

Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Manpower

Name of the Person: Karen Tan (Ms)

Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Health 

WE REFER to Mr Tan Suan Tiu's letter ('Worker's hefty bill affects company too'; March 3), in which he expressed concern over the medical bills of his workers if they were injured in the line of work.

Since 2008, there have been no additional subsidies for hospitalisation associated with work injuries. This is in line with the principle that it is the employers' responsibility to ensure the safety and health of their employees at the work place.

Under the Work Injury Compensation Act, employers are liable for the medical expenses incurred by their employees, up to a cap of $25,000 per accident per employee. The cap of $25,000 fully covers the medical expenses incurred in more than 95 per cent of claims requiring hospitalisation.

Cases such as the one cited by Mr Tan, which exceeded this cap, are rare. In such situations, patients who have financial difficulties should approach the hospitals' medical social workers for assistance.

Where appropriate, we encourage employers to consider additional medical coverage for injuries sustained by their workers during the course of work. They can also opt for B2 or C wards to lower the cost of hospitalisation.