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15 Sep 2008
Question No: 754
Question
Name of the Person: Mdm Halimah Yacob
To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether it is necessary for hospitals to raise ward charges during this period when people are worried over the high inflation rate; (b) whether there is an increase in the number of patients defaulting in payments of hospital bills compared to 2007; and (c) how will the Ministry assist these patients.
Reply
Reply From MOH
The recent high inflation has also impacted the operating cost of public hospitals. Tender prices of medicine and other medical supplies have significantly increased. In line with market movements in wage levels, public hospitals have adjusted the wages of their healthcare workers. In addition, we have made a conscious decision to significantly raise the staff-to-patient ratio, so as to meet rising patients’ expectation for longer consultations and shorter waiting times. All these factors have increased the hospitals’ running costs.
Public hospitals will continue to absorb the bulk of the increases in cost. Our subsidy policy remains unchanged. Some adjustments in patients’ co-payment quantum are therefore inevitable.
As compared to 2007, there has so far been no increase in the number of arrears cases. Patient cases in arrears after 2 months from discharge remain below 4%. Our system of heavy Government subsidies, Medisave, MediShield and Medifund has ensured that basic healthcare services in public hospitals remain affordable to all Singaporeans.
During this period of high inflation, we have reminded our hospitals to be on the lookout for needy patients who might have a problem paying their bills. Patients can continue to ask the hospitals for their medical bills to be paid through installments. We have increased the allocation for Medifund reimbursements so that needy patients can get appropriate financial assistance. In 2006, it was 40 million. Last year, we raised the amount to 50 million and this year, our budget is about 70 million. We have also recommended that the Medifund Committees be especially flexible when evaluating the applications by elderly patients for assistance under Medifund-Silver.