Means Testing for Medifund Across Restructured Hospitals and Specialist Centres

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Tan Wu Meng
MP for Jurong GRC

Question No. 506

To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the last three years, what proportion of Medifund recipients visit more than one public restructured hospital or public specialist centre in the same year; (b) what proportion of such recipients require more than one means test to qualify for Medifund across the restructured hospitals and specialist centres that they visit; and (c) to what extent are medical social worker records portable across restructured hospitals and specialist centres so as to expedite means testing for needy patients.

Written Answer

1        Medifund provides help for needy patients who require additional financial assistance with their healthcare bills after Government subsidies, MediShield Life claims and Medisave withdrawals.  Over the last three years, about 1 in 5 Medifund recipients visited more than one public hospital or national specialty centre in a year.

2        Eligibility for Medifund is determined by the Medifund Committee in each healthcare institution, based on assessment by medical social workers.  Today, medical social workers across public healthcare institutions share information with one another in cases where the patient is known to require financial assistance across institutions.  Medifund assistance is also extended to needy patients on the Public Assistance scheme, without requiring them to go through additional means-testing. 

3        MOH and the public healthcare institutions have been working on sharing of medical social worker case records.  For example, under SingHealth’s One Medifund Assessment initiative which Dr Tan had spearheaded while he was working at the National Cancer Centre, Medifund patients only need to be assessed once at any of the SingHealth institutions.  Last year, medical social workers across all public healthcare institutions also undertook a comprehensive review to streamline the Medifund assessment process and improve information sharing.  The intent is to make it more convenient for Medifund patients who visit more than one institution, while allowing the Medifund Committee of each institution to continue having flexibility to decide on individual cases.