Additional Help for Costly Medical Tests

Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Health whether there are ways to help families who are unable to qualify for additional Government subsidies to pay for outpatient medical fees that may cost thousands of dollars even after basic Government subsidies, such as that for MRIs, CT scans and blood tests.

Mdm Speaker, Singaporeans enjoy subsidies of up to 70% for outpatient medical services and diagnostics at Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) and up to 75% at polyclinics. Pioneers enjoy a further 50% off the subsidised bill. These subsidies apply to outpatient diagnostic services needed for treatment, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), computed tomography (CT) scans and blood tests.

With Government subsidies, the cost of these treatments is typically lower than "thousands of dollars". Based on 2015 data, the median post-subsidy bill size for MRI was $260 while the 90th percentile bill size was $560. So, the median was $260; the 90th percentile bill size was $560. For CT scans, the median and 90th percentile post-subsidy bill sizes were $140 and $440 respectively.

Besides Government subsidies, Singaporeans can use MediSave for outpatient scans, with a withdrawal limit of $300 per year for non-cancer scans and $600 per year for cancer scans. In 2015, more than eight in 10 patients who used MediSave for outpatient scans did not fully utilise their withdrawal limits. Elderly Singaporeans who are 65 years old and above also have the flexibility to use up to $200 of MediSave every year to pay for their outpatient treatments at public healthcare institutions and participating Community Health Assist Scheme general practitioner clinics. This $200 is on top of the MediSave limits for non-cancer scans and cancer scans.

In addition, MediShield Life provides coverage for outpatient chemotherapy, radiotherapy and renal dialysis, which are more expensive. For example, Singaporeans can claim up to $3,000 of MediShield Life, and withdraw up to $1,200 MediSave per month for their chemotherapy treatment, including diagnostic scans and investigations.

Beyond Government subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life, low-income Singaporeans who require further financial support can approach medical social workers at our public healthcare institutions to apply for MediFund. Together, these schemes ensure that Singaporeans from all socio-economic backgrounds will have access to essential medical care when they fall ill.