Cost and Subsidy for Treatment of Hearing Impairment

Debated in Parliament on 4 Feb 2013.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health about the number of elderly Singaporeans with hearing impairment seeking treatment, those needing hearing aids, average hearing aid costs, and whether Medisave could be used for these aids.
The Minister responded that 8,600 seniors received hearing evaluations in 2012 compared to 6,800 in 2010, with 1,500 needing hearing aids and 800 eventually using them.
Hearing aids average between $1,000 and $1,500, and Medisave cannot be used for them as it is reserved for hospitalisation expenses, though subsidies are available for low-income elderly through the Centre for Enabled Living’s Special Assistance Fund.
The government is reviewing policies to better support the elderly as the population ages.

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Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health (a) how many elderly Singaporeans are currently suffering from hearing impairment and have sought treatment at Government clinics as compared to three years ago; (b) how many of them require a basic hearing aid; (c) what is the average cost of a hearing aid; and (d) whether the Government will review the use of Medisave to pay for these hearing aids.

The Minister for Health (Mr Gan Kim Yong)

Mdm Speaker, in 2012, our hospitals attended to about 8,600 seniors for audiometry tests or hearing loss evaluation, as compared to about 6,800 cases in 2010. Of the 8,600 seniors, about 1,500 or 17% of these seniors needed a hearing aid and went through a hearing aid evaluation test. About 800 seniors eventually took up the use of hearing aids.

The cost of a hearing aid varies but averages around $1,000 to $1,500. Medisave coverage does not extend to the purchase of hearing aid because Medisave is primarily meant to support large hospitalisation bills. We need to be careful not to over expand the use of Medisave so that Singaporeans will still have enough in their Medisave to cover their hospitalisation expenses. To help the low income elderly, the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) has a Special

Page: 8

Assistance Fund that provides subsidy for such hearing aids.

We are reviewing our policies to better support the elderly as our population ages.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health about the number of elderly Singaporeans with hearing impairment seeking treatment, those needing hearing aids, average hearing aid costs, and whether Medisave could be used for these aids.
The Minister responded that 8,600 seniors received hearing evaluations in 2012 compared to 6,800 in 2010, with 1,500 needing hearing aids and 800 eventually using them.
Hearing aids average between $1,000 and $1,500, and Medisave cannot be used for them as it is reserved for hospitalisation expenses, though subsidies are available for low-income elderly through the Centre for Enabled Living’s Special Assistance Fund.
The government is reviewing policies to better support the elderly as the population ages.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Cost and Subsidy for Treatment of Hearing Impairment | PAPERCUTS

Cost and Subsidy for Treatment of Hearing Impairment

Debated in Parliament on 4 Feb 2013.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health about the number of elderly Singaporeans with hearing impairment seeking treatment, those needing hearing aids, average hearing aid costs, and whether Medisave could be used for these aids.
The Minister responded that 8,600 seniors received hearing evaluations in 2012 compared to 6,800 in 2010, with 1,500 needing hearing aids and 800 eventually using them.
Hearing aids average between $1,000 and $1,500, and Medisave cannot be used for them as it is reserved for hospitalisation expenses, though subsidies are available for low-income elderly through the Centre for Enabled Living’s Special Assistance Fund.
The government is reviewing policies to better support the elderly as the population ages.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

The Minister for Health (Mr Gan Kim Yong)

Page: 8

Assistance Fund that provides subsidy for such hearing aids.

We are reviewing our policies to better support the elderly as our population ages.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health about the number of elderly Singaporeans with hearing impairment seeking treatment, those needing hearing aids, average hearing aid costs, and whether Medisave could be used for these aids.
The Minister responded that 8,600 seniors received hearing evaluations in 2012 compared to 6,800 in 2010, with 1,500 needing hearing aids and 800 eventually using them.
Hearing aids average between $1,000 and $1,500, and Medisave cannot be used for them as it is reserved for hospitalisation expenses, though subsidies are available for low-income elderly through the Centre for Enabled Living’s Special Assistance Fund.
The government is reviewing policies to better support the elderly as the population ages.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Cost and Subsidy for Treatment of Hearing Impairment

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

The Minister for Health (Mr Gan Kim Yong)

Summary

Questions Identified

Cost and Subsidy for Treatment of Hearing Impairment

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

The Minister for Health (Mr Gan Kim Yong)

Summary

Questions Identified