Adoption Of Means Testing In All Public Hospitals

13 April 2009

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13 Apr 2009

Question No: 978

Question

Name of the Person: Dr Lim Wee Kiak

To ask the Minister for Health with the adoption of means testing in all public hospitals (a) how successful is this initiative in meeting its objectives; and (b) what is the average hospital bill for a patient.

Reply

Reply From MOH

1 The purpose of means-testing in public hospitals is to enable lower income patients to enjoy more subsidies than higher-income patients. It is a fair scheme and its implementation has been uneventful. With computerization, the process is hassle-free and no patients have been inconvenienced.

2 More than 90% of the patients are unaffected by means-testing and they continue to get the full Government subsidy. The average hospital bill sizes for Class B2 and C have remained relatively stable at about $1,500, well within the Medisave withdrawal limits.