Let Medisave be used

06 Aug 2005, The Straits Times

Question

Name of the Person: Lorraine Chan Lu Lin (Miss)

Let Medisave be used

Aug 6, 2005Let Medisave be used 

To cover big bills fully MY MOTHER was hospitalised in SGH on July 11 due to angina pectoris and, because she was diagnosed with coronary artery disease, she was invited to participate in a clinical trial in which a stent is inserted to keep the blood vessel open. My mother did not have to pay for the stent but medication for six months at $720 had to be paid for before a reimbursement is arranged. The cost of her three-day stay came up to $10,488. After a government grant of $6,935 and Medisave deduction of $1,300, I had to pay cash of $2,253. My mum is in her 60s, is eligible to withdraw her CPF monthly and has more than enough funds in Medisave. Could not the balance have been paid via Medisave?

Name of the Person: Lee Hoi Thoe

To pay for expensive tests I HAVE to undergo endorectal disposal coil and MRI prostate tests at SGH Cancer Centre after being diagnosed with prostate cancer recently. Being a retiree and unemployed, I find it difficult to stomach the fee of $700, in cash, for such tests, which the hospital says cannot be deducted from my Medisave account. Poor and unemployed patients can hardly afford such payments in cash and would possibly forgo the treatment. Could the authorities allow the use of Medisave to ease the plight of such patients?

Name of the Person: Leong Tzi Min

To pay for implant for son MY SON was diagnosed with auditory neuropathy, a form of hearing impairment. After he failed to develop speech despite wearing a hearing aid for some time, it was recommended that he go for a cochlear implant as a last resort. However, the cost of the implant - excluding hospitalisation and surgery - is $42,000. This cannot be funded by Medisave or any insurance scheme. For an average family like ours, after pooling our savings there is still a huge shortfall. I appeal to the authorities to allow us to use our Medisave funds. We could reimburse our accounts in instalments subsequently. 

Tay Li Ping (Ms) To pay for prevention FURTHER to Mr Leong Tzin Min's letter, 'Allow use of Medisave for life-saving test' (ST, Aug 4), I am writing to request the CPF Board to consider allowing the use of Medisave to subsidise long-term medication required by those who have been diagnosed to be chronically ill. My friend's son has, for many years, been taking costly daily medication prescribed by a local hospital to ensure his kidneys do not deteriorate, thus avoiding the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant. As the medication is costly, it places a heavy financial burden on the family. I understand the good intentions of the CPF scheme but I believe that the CPF Board should consider allowing Medisave for such uses as long as certain criteria have been met. No one is asking for handouts or charity but to be allowed to use their own hard-earned money so that their chronically-ill family members will be able to lead as normal a life as possible. It is ironic that CPF funds are allowed to be used for investments of various forms which do not guarantee profits but are not allowed to be used for long-term medication of the chronically ill. Carol Lim Siew Imm (Ms) 

4 Aug, 2005Allow use of Medisave for life-saving test MY MOTHER has been diagnosed with nose cancer. One of the tests considered indispensable is the PET Scan. This is to enable the doctor to accurately diagnose and prescribe precise treatment. 

My father was told that it being a new procedure, Medisave cannot be used to pay for it, nor is there a subsidy. We have to pay cash. He appealed to the CPF Board and the reply from the Healthcare Schemes Department was that Medisave is meant for members' future hospitalisation. What future hospitalisation are we talking about if Medisave money is not allowed to be used to treat a life-threatening disease? My dad isn't asking for charity; he is seeking permission to use his hard-earned money to pay for the diagnostic test. Was not this state-of-the-art machine purchased with taxpayers' money for the benefit of all citizens?

Reply

Reply from MOH 

Medisave is for Class B2/C hospital bills 

Various letters to the ST Forum Page have requested for Medisave to be extended for various uses, namely, for PET Scan; tests for prostate cancer; cochlear implant; chronic illness and balance of hospital bills. 

We empathise with the writers and their situations. However, Medisave is designed primarily for Class B2/C inpatient hospitalisation expenses. It would be depleted prematurely if Medisave is extended for other non-inpatient purposes. This may in turn result in future problems for the patients and their families, especially with the increase in life expectancy and the need for individuals to stretch their Medisave for a longer period of time. 

With regard to the specific request to use Medisave for PET Scan, the Ministry would also like to clarify that expensive treatment does not equate better treatment. Choosing a new or a more expensive treatment or procedure may not be necessary for all patients. Often the evidence to substantiate the use of expensive treatments and devices, is not conclusive and its promotion is driven by industry. Patients may end up with a larger bill than is necessary. Hence there is a need to guard against over-servicing of subsidised patients by doctors, and treatment decisions should be based on medical need and peer-review by the specialists. 

There is a list of approved outpatient treatments which the Ministry reviews regularly, and we have allowed the use of Medisave for certain expensive outpatient treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and renal dialysis. The Ministry will continue to monitor Medisave usage and would provide more information in due course.