Use of MediSave Savings for Mental Health Therapy and Counselling Treatment at Public Hospitals

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health whether patients can be allowed to use their MediSave savings for mental health therapy and counselling treatment at public hospitals.

Mental health therapy and counselling treatment are typically provided in the outpatient setting. Subsidies are available for patients receiving these treatments in public healthcare institutions. Under the Chronic Disease Management Programme, patients with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety can also withdraw up to $500 from MediSave per year to defray the cost of these outpatient treatments. In addition, patients aged 60 and above may withdraw another $200 per year under the Flexi-MediSave scheme.

Where a patient's mental health condition leads to an inpatient stay in a public hospital, he or she can receive subsidies and MediShield Life coverage for his or her hospitalisation bill. MediSave can also be used to cover the inpatient stay.

Singaporeans who face difficulties with their medical bills at public hospitals after Government subsidies, MediShield Life and MediSave may approach medical social workers at public healthcare institutions for additional financial assistance. No Singaporean will be denied access to necessary and appropriate healthcare because of an inability to pay.