Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

2 Nov 2020

COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment No 3) Bill

The Second Minister for Law introduced the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment No 3) Bill with a Certificate of Urgency signed by the President.
The Bill was read for the first time and copies were distributed to Members for review.
The second reading of the Bill was scheduled for the following day.
The Speaker confirmed the Certificate of Urgency and ordered the Clerk to proceed with the Orders of the day.

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2 Nov 2020

Portion of Average Bill for Surgical Procedure Paid Via MediShield Life and Via Out-of-pocket Payments

The government provides subsidies of up to 80% for surgical procedures, with MediShield Life covering 15–20% and MediSave 5–10% of an average subsidized bill, resulting in about 3% paid out-of-pocket, and most Singaporeans paying $100 or less in cash for subsidized hospitalization.
MediShield Life and MediSave limits are regularly reviewed and recently adjusted to reflect rising costs and procedure complexity, with plans to increase daily ward and treatment claim limits and raise the annual claim limit to $150,000 to better support older patients with large bills.
For outlier cases with high out-of-pocket costs, the Ministry of Health encourages sharing specific details for review and points to MediFund as a safety net for those needing additional financial assistance after subsidies, MediSave, and MediShield Life.

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2 Nov 2020

Adjustments in Medishield Life Premiums Given Difficult Climate

The debate focused on the justification for increasing MediShield Life premiums, citing factors like rising medical costs, higher claims, and benefit enhancements, with the government emphasizing the need for the scheme’s sustainability and solvency.
Ministers explained that premium increases are based on actuarial principles, with subsidies and support schemes (including COVID-19 relief) ensuring affordability, especially for seniors and lower-income households, while transparency was questioned regarding actuarial reports and cost comparisons.
MPs raised concerns about healthcare cost control, premium transparency, and support for vulnerable groups, with the government highlighting existing subsidies, additional assistance for those in hardship, and plans to communicate these measures through community outreach.

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2 Nov 2020

Drivers of Cost Increases in Healthcare

The Senior Minister of State for Health identified ageing, medical advancement, and rising operating costs as key drivers of healthcare cost increases, noting that older patients require more care, new treatments improve quality of life but are more expensive, and manpower costs account for a significant portion of expenses.
The Ministry of Health is implementing strategies such as promoting preventive health, shifting care to the community, and evaluating cost-effectiveness of treatments to moderate cost growth while ensuring sustainability.
Measures like fee benchmarks, bill size publications, subsidies, and the S plus 3M Framework (subsidies, MediShield Life, MediSave, and MediFund) are in place to help Singaporeans manage healthcare expenses.
The government emphasizes a sustained effort involving all stakeholders to keep healthcare affordable and accessible, acknowledging there is no single solution to control costs.

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2 Nov 2020

Training Safe Distancing Ambassadors for Easing of COVID-19 Measures

Miss Cheryl Chan raised concerns about the challenges Safe Distancing Ambassadors face in enforcing mask-wearing rules, especially in grey areas like when to put masks back on after eating or exercising.
Minister Grace Fu explained that ambassadors are regularly updated, deployed in teams, and provided reference materials to handle evolving measures, emphasizing that mask-wearing remains mandatory to protect public health.
The Minister acknowledged the difficulty in enforcement but stressed that rules are clear—masks should be worn immediately after activities like eating—and urged public cooperation to reduce the need for enforcement.
Miss Chan highlighted inconsistent advice from ambassadors on timing mask-wearing, which complicates ground enforcement as more people return to public spaces.
Both sides agreed on the importance of masks and safe distancing, with the Minister reiterating that reminders and community cooperation are key to managing COVID-19 risks.

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15 Oct 2020

Statistics on Annual MediShield Life Payouts and Claims over Last Five Years

The Minister for Health reported that MediShield Life payouts and claimants among seniors above 65 increased by almost 50% from 2016 to 2019, with claims rising from 229,000 to 333,000 and payouts from $363 million to $541 million.
The average payout per claim for seniors grew slightly from $1,580 to $1,620 over the five-year period, with growth rates higher than the overall population.
The debate did not provide specific data on the proportion of private hospital claims, focusing instead on overall statistics and trends for seniors.

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15 Oct 2020

Yearly Loss Ratio of MediShield Life (Basic) in Last Five Years

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health for the yearly loss ratio of MediShield Life (Basic) over the last five years.
Minister Gan Kim Yong explained that MediShield Life is a not-for-profit, universal scheme designed to be self-sustaining, with premiums used solely for policyholder benefits and administrative costs.
The Minister stated that the Incurred Loss Ratio (ILR) is a more accurate measure than the traditional loss ratio, as it accounts for future claims, long-term treatments, and premium rebates, not just annual claims.
A table was referenced showing premiums collected, claims paid, changes in required reserves, and the ILR since the scheme's launch in November 2015.
The response emphasized that the MediShield Life Fund uses actuarial principles to ensure sustainability and moderate premium increases for older policyholders.

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15 Oct 2020

Eradicating Mental Health Stigmatisation

Member Wan Rizal proposed four strategies to combat mental health stigma: improving mental health literacy in schools and workplaces, increasing accessibility to community-based support services, implementing regular mental health screenings, and introducing "time-outs" in educational and professional settings.
The Parliamentary Secretary highlighted existing government initiatives such as the Beyond the Label campaign, mental health education in schools, the National CARE Hotline, and the launch of mindline.sg, while noting the formation of the COVID-19 Mental Wellness Taskforce and Youth Mental Well-being Network.
Both speakers emphasized the need to normalize mental health care as equally important as physical health, reduce stigma through education and accessible resources, and foster a supportive environment where seeking help is encouraged.

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15 Oct 2020

Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

A Non-Constituency Member questioned the need for more COVID-19 quarantine facilities amid declining cases, asking for total expenditure and the portion attributable to foreign workers.
The Minister of State for National Development explained that facilities were critical for breaking the infection cycle, costing about $804 million to-date, with migrant workers forming a sizeable proportion of the expenditure.
The Member withdrew his proposed reduction of $100 for the Ministry of National Development's Head T after the Minister's clarification.
Parliament approved the sum of $4,377,469,000 under the Third Supplementary Estimates for the financial year 2020-2021.
The Committee of Supply's resolutions were reported and agreed to by Parliament.

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15 Oct 2020

Proceedings on 15 October 2020

The Leader of the House sought and received consent to move a motion to resume the debate on the Deputy Prime Minister’s Ministerial Statement regarding the COVID-19 strategy before proceeding to vote on budget matters.
The Speaker confirmed the motion and noted that Members present indicated their assent, leading to the resolution to take up the item on the Order Paper immediately.
The Clerk was then directed to read the Orders of the Day, marking the formal start of the debate session.

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15 Oct 2020

Continual Contact between Natural Parents and Children-In-Care Despite COVID-19 Safe Distancing Measures

The Minister outlined that during the circuit breaker, MSF facilitated virtual interactions between children-in-care and their natural parents via video calls and phone calls to maintain family ties and support eventual reunification.
In the post-circuit breaker period, children in foster care were granted home leave for visits, with natural parents required to declare their household’s health status and compliance with quarantine measures before visits.
Case workers maintained regular virtual check-ins with children to monitor well-being and requested periodic health updates from natural families to ensure safe contact amid distancing measures.

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15 Oct 2020

Impact on MediSave Withdrawal Limits When MediShield Life Premium Payments Rise

The Senior Minister of State clarified that MediShield Life premiums are fully payable by MediSave without withdrawal limits, while Integrated Shield Plan premiums are subject to Additional Withdrawal Limits that balance support for premiums with preserving MediSave for basic healthcare needs.
Member Gerald Giam asked if increasing MediShield Life coverage would reduce the need for and cost of Integrated Shield Plans, to which the Minister responded that increased coverage does not necessarily negate the need for private plans due to healthcare inflation and personal preference.
Giam suggested that the government consider having CPF take over standard Integrated Shield Plans for Class B1 coverage to leverage risk pooling and lower premiums, with the Minister noting the suggestion would be considered as part of ongoing reviews but emphasizing the need for MediShield Life to stabilize first.
The Minister highlighted that MediShield Life covers nine out of 10 subsidised healthcare bills, and the additional B1 coverage is a limited enhancement, so market competition and personal choice remain important in the insurance landscape.

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14 Oct 2020

Criteria Used in Selection of Disease for Inclusion under Chronic Disease Management Programme

The Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) is reviewed regularly by the Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC), which consults clinical experts and considers factors like disease prevalence, patient outcome benefits, and the availability of evidence-based clinical guidelines.
Selection criteria include studies such as the Singapore Burden of Disease and medical literature, alongside feedback from the public, medical professionals, and Parliament.
Recent examples of diseases added to CDMP include ischaemic heart disease and pre-diabetes from June 2018, with ongoing reviews to balance healthcare needs and MediSave sustainability.

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14 Oct 2020

Progress on Development and Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Vaccine and Plans for Mass Vaccination for Singaporeans

The government is developing a vaccination strategy that prioritizes vulnerable and high-risk individuals, with the financing framework considering overall strategy and vaccine costs, and will adapt as more information becomes available.
Singapore is collaborating on vaccine development, with Duke-NUS and Arcturus Therapeutics conducting a combined Phase 1 and 2 clinical trial for an mRNA vaccine that has recruited about 70 participants and is expected to complete later this year.
The government is building vaccine manufacturing capacity in Singapore to provide fill-and-finish services for developers and scale up production when vaccines become available.

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14 Oct 2020

Availability of Future-ready Counsellors and Psychologists to Help Cope with Potential Increase in Mental Illness Cases

The Ministry of Health reported that as of September 2020, there are 5,041 registered psychologists in Singapore (8.9 per 100k population), with a 7% increase in the public healthcare sector from 2017 to 2019; there were also 9,402 registered counsellors as of April 2020.
Mental health care is provided through a multidisciplinary team approach across public hospitals, polyclinics, schools, and community agencies, with psychologists and counsellors offering assessments, psychotherapy, and counselling support as part of holistic patient management.
To promote these occupations, the government has launched awareness campaigns like “Care to Go Beyond,” offered Healthcare Graduate Studies Awards for clinical psychology training, and provided scholarships, awards, and leadership schemes through the National Council of Social Service and other tripartite initiatives.

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14 Oct 2020

Review of Pilot Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening Programme

The Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted a three-year pilot on Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) starting in 2017 to test embryos for chromosomal abnormalities, comparing outcomes with non-PGS cases.
Over 350 patients enrolled, but only 104 underwent PGS, resulting in 60 embryo transfers, 31 pregnancies, 15 live births, and 8 ongoing pregnancies; more patients are needed for a robust evaluation.
The review will consider international evidence, ethical issues, and regulatory frameworks before deciding if PGS can be a routine clinical service; PGS remains accessible to eligible patients until the evaluation is complete.

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14 Oct 2020

Overview of Government's Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The government outlined a strategy to emerge stronger by reallocating development funds to finance continued COVID-19 support while maintaining fiscal prudence, with a record deficit projected for the fiscal year.
Intensified efforts were emphasized to aid job seekers, particularly mid-career professionals, through expanded job centers and workforce transition programs, as sectors face permanent changes and economic scarring.
Singapore's recovery strategy focuses on becoming a Global-Asia node for technology and innovation, requiring investments in digital infrastructure, inclusive growth, and continuous workforce upskilling to secure long-term competitiveness.

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14 Oct 2020

Update on GPFirst Programme at Changi General Hospital

The GPFirst programme, piloted at Changi General Hospital in 2014, encourages non-emergency patients to visit general practitioners instead of emergency departments, with referred patients receiving a $50 subsidy and priority care at the ED.
From 2014 to 2017, CGH saw an 8.5% reduction in self-referred ED attendances, which may be partly attributed to GPFirst alongside other measures.
The Ministry of Health has expanded GPFirst to include more GPs near Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Admiralty Medical Centre, with plans to extend it to Sengkang General Hospital, National University Hospital, and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital by end-2021.

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6 Oct 2020

Requests and Appeals Received and Approved for Foreign Domestic Workers to Enter Singapore during Circuit Breaker Period

The Ministry of Manpower received approximately 4,100 applications and appeals for foreign domestic workers to enter Singapore during the circuit breaker period.
Out of these, 630 requests were approved, primarily from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
These approvals were given despite strict travel restrictions aimed at reducing COVID-19 importation risks.
The approvals were granted to support residents' needs during the circuit breaker period.
The figures reflect limited entry approvals for work pass holders to protect public health.

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6 Oct 2020

Strategy to Attract International Pharmaceutical Companies to Locate Vaccine Manufacturing Plants in Singapore

The Singapore government is actively engaging global pharmaceutical companies to establish vaccine manufacturing plants in the country by leveraging its skilled talent, R&D commitment, and global connectivity.
The strategy includes building up local SMEs by partnering them with global firms, marketing their products internationally, and facilitating R&D and technology adoption to support vaccine production.
Local companies are already contributing to the pandemic response through diagnostics, vaccine development, and immune response research, with continued efforts to maintain the innovation ecosystem for future opportunities.

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