Data on Rejections to Applications for Private Medical Insurance

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2740

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 7 MAY 2024

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Rachel Ong

MP for West Coast GRC

Question No. 5951

To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has data on the number of people who have had their applications for private medical insurance rejected in each year from 2015 to 2023; and (b) if so, what percentage of the rejected applications involve (i) people with mental health conditions, past or present and (ii) people with disabilities.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2725

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 7 MAY 2024

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Rachel Ong

MP for West Coast GRC

Question No. 5952

To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the last 10 years, how many people have paid for hospital treatments without insurance coverage beyond MediShield Life and who are (i) people with mental health conditions, past or present or (ii) people with disabilities; and (b) what is the average cost of treatment paid by these two groups of people who are outside the coverage of MediShield Life insurance.

Answer

1 Unfortunately, MOH and MAS do not collect data on the number of insurance application rejections. MOH also does not track the data that the Member asked for, such as the number of people with mental health conditions or disabilities who have paid for hospital treatments without insurance coverage beyond MediShield Life (MSHL). 

2 Nevertheless, all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are covered under MSHL from birth regardless of pre-existing conditions, including mental health conditions and disabilities. MSHL is designed to cover them well so long as they seek subsidised healthcare in our public health institutions. Together, government subsidies, MSHL, MediSave, and if necessary MediFund, ensure that most Singapore Citizens pay very little cash out of pocket for subsidised care at public healthcare institutions. 

3 What is in question are commercial insurance policies that accord protection over and above MSHL, such as for unsubsidised care in the private sector.  These will be subject to the private underwriting arrangements of insurance companies.