ELDERSHIELD CLAIMS FOR INPATIENT HOSPICE PATIENTS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2132
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 3 OCTOBER 2023

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Dr Tan Wu Meng
MP for Jurong GRC 

Question No. 4991

To ask the Minister for Health (a) since 2022, how many inpatient hospice patients have sought ElderShield claims; (b) of these, how many claims have been approved; (c) what is the median time taken from application to the commencement of payout; (d) how many have been approved through (i) severe disability assessor review by a visiting assessor and (ii) resident assessment forms submitted by the inpatient hospices, respectively; and (e) whether the claims of patients with severely limited life expectancy in inpatient hospices can be expedited.

Answer

1 Between January 2022 and June 2023, around 20 inpatient hospice patients have sought for ElderShield claims, and all were approved, supported by severe disability assessments conducted by MOH-accredited severe disability assessors. The Resident Assessment Form is an assessment tool that is typically used in nursing homes, and is not commonly used in inpatient hospices.  

2 Currently, the median time for processing all severe disability scheme claims applications is 10 working days. Payouts are disbursed in the month after application approval, and will include payouts for prior months between date of disability assessment and approval date. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) proactively looks out for claims applications from patients with limited life expectancy, and prioritises the processing of their claims applications.