Reviewing Healthcare Services Support Schemes for Healthcare Inflation

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Leon Perera
MP for Aljunied GRC

Question No. 221

To ask the Minister for Health how often subsidy levels for healthcare services support schemes like the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) are reviewed for healthcare inflation.

Answer

1               The Ministry of Health (MOH) regularly reviews our healthcare services support schemes based on a variety of factors, including healthcare inflation as well as household incomes, to ensure that healthcare remains affordable and accessible for all Singaporeans.

2               For example, CHAS was recently enhanced in November 2019 to provide subsidies for chronic disease management to all Singaporeans regardless of income.   Other enhancements included the increase in the annual subsidy cap for complex chronic conditions for CHAS Blue and Orange cardholders, from $500 to $520 and $300 to $320 per year respectively, as well as the extension of subsidies for common illnesses to CHAS Orange cardholders.  Merdeka Generation seniors are also entitled to special subsidies for medical and dental care at CHAS clinics.

3               MOH periodically updates the income criteria used to determine subsidy levels, to account for income growth and changes in healthcare expenditure over the years.  In the latest review conducted in 2019, more than 365,000 Singapore Residents had benefited from higher subsidies resulting from the revised monthly per capita household income criteria for our means-tested healthcare schemes.

4               Such reviews form part of MOH’s continual efforts to maintain healthcare affordability for our citizens, particularly those from the lower income groups, to ensure that no Singaporean will be denied appropriate healthcare because of inability to pay.