MediShield Life claim limits for inpatient palliative care will also be raised. The daily claim limits will be increased from S$250 to S$460 for general inpatient palliative care, and from S$350 to S$500 for specialised inpatient palliative care.
In addition, the MediSave S$2,500 lifetime withdrawal limit for all home palliative care and day hospice patients who use their own MediSave will be removed. However, the limit will remain for patients who tap on their family members’ MediSave.
The MediShield Life and MediSave changes will be implemented in the first quarter of 2024.
Another enhancement will come in the area of drug and vaccine subsidies for long-term medical care services, such as nursing home, home medical, and palliative care services.
Currently, such subsidies are only extended to long-term medical care patients from lower- to middle-income households.
“Moving forward, we will extend drug and vaccine subsidies of at least 50 per cent, similar to what they would receive at public healthcare institutions, to all patients of MOH-funded providers of eligible long-term medical care services,” said MOH.
“This will improve access to subsidised drugs and vaccines, especially for homebound patients.”
MOH will also align drug and vaccine subsidies for patients utilising nursing home, home medical, home palliative care, and day hospice services with those at specialist outpatient clinics. The changes will start in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Speaking at the Singapore Palliative Care Conference on Saturday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung noted that as times and circumstances have changed when it comes to dealing with the topic of death, policies and practices should change as well.
“Surveys done by the Lien Foundation show that three in four seniors prefer to pass on at home. Doctors have told me that in their conversations with patients it was more like nine in 10,” he said at the event at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre.
“It is time we recognise that palliative care can make a huge difference. It provides comfort not just to patients but also their caregivers, going beyond physical to also emotional and spiritual care, while honouring the wishes of the patients,” he added.