Median Out-of-pocket Bill Amounts for Common Chronic Conditions and Day Surgeries at Public Health Institutions

Dr Wan Rizal asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry can provide data for the latest trends in median out-of-pocket bills for common chronic conditions and day surgeries at public institutions; and (b) whether MediShield Life limits and CHAS tiers will be updated and bill-size transparency extended to more procedures.

With the recent refresh in MediShield Life and MediSave limits for inpatient and day surgery treatments on 1 April 2025, there is no out-of-pocket payment for the median subsidised day surgery bill at public healthcare institutions (PHIs). For chronic conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP), the median annual out-of-pocket cost of the CDMP bills at PHIs, after subsidies and MediSave, is around $50 per patient.

MediShield Life and MediSave limits as well as Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) subsidies are reviewed periodically to ensure these remain adequate amid rising healthcare costs.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) publishes hospital bill information annually for surgical procedures and inpatient medical conditions. This information is broken down by ward settings across hospitals, which allows patients to make informed choices about their healthcare providers. MOH will study if there is an impetus to publish the bill information for more conditions.