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15 Sep 2008
Question No: 747
Question
Name of the Person: Er Lee Bee Wah
To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will review its current policy on Government’s co-funding scheme for Assisted Reproduction Technology treatment to include patients at private hospitals.
Reply
Reply From MOH
1. Patients in Singapore can choose between public and private hospitals for their treatment. Both provide a high standard of clinical care, but at different prices because public hospitals are heavily subsidised.
2. For infertility treatment, the expertise is available in both sectors. Last year, 2,100 patients sought infertility treatment. Public hospitals accounted for more than half of the market share. Success rates of the treatment are comparable, with public hospitals averaging 27%, and private hospitals, 24%. The cost of treatment is also generally lower in the public hospitals.
3. My Ministry’s decision to subsidise infertility treatment in public hospitals is within the context of our policy towards healthcare subsidies. Patients are not subsidised for treatment in private hospitals, as comparable services are available in public hospitals. Our approach for infertility treatment is the same. This way, Government subsidy will focus help on those couples who find it difficult to afford treatment in private clinics.