Healthcare Subsidies For Long-Term Visit Pass Holders with Singaporean Spouses

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Kok Heng Leun
Nominated MP

Question No. 904

To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider giving Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders who are married to Singapore citizens, similar health subsidies as LTVP Plus holders.

Answer

1        Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents receive government subsidies at public healthcare institutions, with citizens receiving a higher level of subsidies.  This is in line with the broader Government policy of differentiating benefits by citizenship status.

2        Patients are extended subsidies based on their own citizenship status, and not that of their spouses.  This is the general principle which applies to different types of Government subsidies, including for healthcare services.  To support Singaporeans with foreign spouses who have not obtained PR or citizenship, the Government decided in 2012 to extend healthcare subsidies for inpatient services to foreign spouses who are Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP-Plus) holders.  They are given the same level of subsidies for inpatient services as PRs.

3        We need to be mindful that the cost of extending government subsidies to LTVP holders will ultimately be borne by all Singaporeans.  Any proposal to further extend more Government subsidies to foreigners, who are neither Permanent Residents nor Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus holders, would need to be carefully considered.