Hospital Bill Sizes and Decentralising Services into the Community

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

Question No. 630

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile quantum of hospital bills and Government subsidy payable, arising from one day of subsidised ward inpatient hospital admission; and (b) whether the Ministry is studying if ecosystem-level cost savings will arise from decentralising services into the community such as home medication delivery, home medication administration and home phlebotomy especially for less mobile patients.

Written Answer

All Singaporeans are eligible for means-tested government subsidies of up to 80% at Class C wards and up to 65% at Class B2 wards in our public healthcare institutions (PHIs). In 2019, the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile values for the daily post-subsidy bill sizes for Singaporeans staying in Class B2 and C wards were $200, $270, $400, $660 and $1,300 respectively before MediShield Life and MediSave. After MediShield Life claims and MediSave coverage, the patient’s out-of-pocket payment would be significantly lower. Please note that a patient’s inpatient bill at the PHIs depends not only on the length of stay, but also other components such as procedures undergone, drugs prescribed, and diagnostics tests and implants required.

MOH’s priorities include going “Beyond Hospital to Community” to centre care in the community. This includes anchoring care in the primary care setting and enabling individuals to receive long-term care at home or in the community where appropriate. This also helps patients to receive care in an environment which they are familiar with, and allows them to avoid expensive hospital care when it is not required.

Services that provide medication administration and phlebotomy at home are currently available to less mobile patients as part of home nursing visits. Together with home medication delivery, which benefits a wider range of patients, they are part of the suite of services that support care of patients in the community.