Charging MSV and MSH use of Temporary Beds

7 October 2014

Question No. 233

Mr. Zainal Sapari

MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average length of time that a person will be in the transit ward of the Accident and Emergency Department of a public hospital before getting a bed at the subsidised wards; and (b) whether the Ministry can allow patients who are in transit wards to use their Medisave for payment during their stay there.

Question No. 259

Mr. Gerald Giam Yean Song

Non-Constituency MP

Question

To ask the Minister for Health (a) which public hospitals charge patients for (i) temporary beds in tents; (ii) beds in the corridors outside the wards; or (iii) beds in the ward corridors but not in ward rooms; (b) how all these rates differ from beds in the ward room; and (c) whether stays in temporary beds in tents and in the corridors, outside and inside the ward, qualify for Medisave use or MediShield Life claims.

Answer

1.                 For 2013, the median time for admission to a ward from the Emergency Department (ED) was 2.5 hours.

2.                 Patients at the EDs are prioritised and attended to based on the severity of their conditions.  While patients wait to be admitted to an inpatient bed, they will continue to receive medical treatment, nursing care, clinical monitoring and other services, as well as meals that they may require during this transit period.  Their well-being and care remain the focus of our care team at the Emergency Department.

3.                 During the transit period, patients would be charged for services that have been rendered.  Medisave and MediShield can also be used for these charges if the patients are subsequently warded, subject to the prevailing daily and other limits, and the number of inpatient days of stay.

4.                 We have received appeals and queries earlier about the computation of Medisave and MediShield claims for patients who received treatment before their inpatient beds were ready.  Some hospitals commence inpatient charges only when the patients are transferred to a ward and taken care of by the inpatient team. Ward charges are not imposed during the transit period at the ED, and the transit period does not count towards total inpatient days in the computation of Medisave and MediShield claims. Other hospitals consider patients as inpatient once they are taken care of by the inpatient team, even during the transit period. The time during this period contributes towards the length of stay and patients will benefit from higher claims for Medisave and MediShield. We are reviewing these two ways of computation to see how we can streamline the practices across public hospitals to minimise confusion.