Average Annual Cost for Mental Health Treatment at Public Health Institutions and Proposal for Use of MediSave for such Treatment

Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the average treatment cost of seeking help for mental health issues in a public health institution per year; and (b) whether the use of MediSave for mental health treatment under the Chronic Disease Management Programme can be extended to include more private clinics, given the increase in the need for mental health services.

Patients are eligible for up to 75% subsidies when seeking outpatient treatment at the polyclinics and public specialist outpatient clinics (SOCs), with Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors eligible for an additional 50% and 25% off their subsidised bills respectively.

In CY2020, the average post-subsidy annual bill size for outpatient treatment of mental health conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) in the polyclinics and public SOCs was around $110 and $270 respectively.

Patients can tap on MediSave at up to $500 or $700 per year to pay for their post-subsidy outpatient treatment of CDMP mental health conditions, depending on the complexity of their condition. In 2021, nine in 10 of all patients who withdrew MediSave under the CDMP did not reach their annual $500 or $700 limits.

Patients can tap on MediSave for their mental health treatment at polyclinics as well as more than 90 accredited GPs and private clinics currently. We welcome more clinics to be accredited and trained to make MediSave claims for mental illnesses. Clinics may apply through the Agency for Integrated Care.