Debated in Parliament on 6 Nov 2017.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health whether the Government will consider automatically permitting the usage of the MediSave savings of a person without mental capacity for his own MediSave-approved medical expenses even though the person is unable to communicate his consent for such usage.
I thank Ms Sylvia Lim for her suggestion. As a general principle, a patient's authorisation is required for the use of his MediSave. This is a safeguard to protect the patient. However, the Government understands that patients who have lost their mental capacity face many difficult challenges, and we have implemented measures over the years to help these patients and their families, including simplifying the process for authorising MediSave withdrawals.
One initiative is to allow a patient to give lifetime authorisation for MediSave withdrawals while he is still mentally well. This arrangement will remain valid even if the patient were to subsequently lose his mental capacity.
For a patient who is already mentally incapacitated, a donee acting under a Lasting Power of Attorney or a deputy appointed by the Court under the Mental Capacity Act may authorise the use of the patient's MediSave. If there is no donee or deputy appointed, individuals related to the patient, such as the patient’s family members, can apply to authorise the withdrawal on the patient's behalf.
We will study Ms Lim's suggestion, together with feedback from other stakeholders, as part of our continuous review on ways to assist patients who have lost their mental capacity, while providing the necessary safeguards to protect patients' interests and well-being.
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