Incidence of Residents Delaying or Forgoing Recommended Healthcare Due to Cost

Dr Hamid Razak asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry tracks the incidence of residents delaying or forgoing recommended healthcare due to cost; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will (i) incorporate measures of cost-related forgone care into national health surveys and (ii) report such trends by income group.

My response will also cover a similar question raised by the Member filed for subsequent Sitting.1 If the Member is satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw the question after the Sitting.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not track the data requested by the Member.

Instead, MOH tracks and reports the overall affordability of healthcare through indicators, such as the share of Singaporeans who do not pay any cash out-of-pocket for subsidised inpatient episodes and the out-of-pocket share of current healthcare expenditure. These indicators are published online and in reports, such as the Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review.

At the individual level, what is important is that there are means for patients to access additional help through safety nets, like MediFund, if they still face a significant healthcare cost burden even after subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life. Our medical social workers will be able to assist these patients.

No Singaporean will lose access to appropriate healthcare due to an inability to pay.