Medisave for Chronic Disease Management

21 Jan 2008

Question No:  501  

Question

Name of the Person: Dr Ong Seh Hong

To ask the Minister for Health what is the average time frame before the $300 claimable under Medisave for Chronic Disease Management runs out and whether his Ministry will consider increasing the amount claimable, especially for Singaporeans with a larger amount of Medisave.

Reply

Reply From MOH

1. The Medisave for Chronic Disease Management Programme is still quite new, being launched only in October 2006.  We are still gathering data and analyzing them.

2. Whether the withdrawal limit of $300 per account per year is sufficient depends on patients’ needs.  This was decided upon based on the data from public hospitals and clinics.  The average annual cost of treating normal diabetes or hypertension was about $250 for subsidized patients.

3. The claims experience so far seems to confirm this.  Three in four Medisave (77%) withdrawals under this Programme were below $300 per withdrawal.  For those who require more than $300 per year, they can tap on the Medisave accounts of their family members.  But few did.

4. It is perhaps too early to draw firm conclusions on the adequacy of the $300 limit.  But we are closely monitoring the scheme.