SINGAPOREANS may be able to use Medisave to pay for health screenings in future.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will take the first step towards this by setting up an expert group to review the different types of health screenings available here and come up with a framework to determine which checks are appropriate.

The group, to be set up under the Academy of Medicine, will be chaired by a senior public- health specialist, Professor Lee Hin Peng.

MOH will also study the financial impact of using Medisave to fund such checks, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.

Determining the appropriate forms of health screening would ensure that Singaporeans do not get fleeced and deplete their Medisave for costly but ultimately non-beneficial tests, he said.

He was responding to calls by Members of Parliament such as Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade GRC) to allow Medisave to be used for health screenings, during the Committee of Supply debate on Budget estimates for MOH.

Saying that Medisave utilisation is very low, at only 15 per cent for chronic-disease outpatients in financial year 2008, Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim called for rules on Medisave use to be relaxed, including removing the $30 deductible that patients have to pay before they can use Medisave.

In response, Mr Khaw said: "I know Medisave is your money, but if it runs out prematurely, you will be in trouble. I am trying to prevent such an outcome. That is why we have stringent Medisave-withdrawal rules and limits."

However, from June, MOH will let community-hospital patients withdraw more Medisave to pay their bills: up to $250 daily and capped at $5,000 yearly instead of $150 and $3,500, respectively.

Mr Khaw said that this is to "fix this anomaly" noted by Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC) - patients choosing to stay in general hospitals instead of community hospitals, even though the total cost of treatment is higher.

They do so because the Medisave-withdrawal limit is higher in general hospitals, at $450 a day.

The capabilities of community hospitals are also being stepped up so that they can take patients with more serious conditions, such as those with hip fractures, and the elderly with kidney and urinary-tract infections, he added.

From June, day-rehabilitation patients can also spend up to $25 of their Medisave daily, instead of $20.

MOH will invest an extra $57 million on top of the current $123 million to boost mental-health treatment.

It will increase the number of psychiatric nursing staff and set up a long-term monitoring system that identifies and provides support for patients who default on follow-up treatments.

It will spend another $46 million over four years to train and recruit more psychologists and speech, language and physiotherapists to help special-needs children, such as those with severe mental retardation, autism and cerebral palsy, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Hawazi Daipi.

With two hospitals coming up, Mr Khaw said that the public health-care sector has added more professionals to improve the staff-to-patient ratio.

For instance, for every 10 beds, Singapore now has eight doctors instead of six, and 26 nurses instead of 20 previously.

MOH will also expand the Integrated Screening Programme to include checks for the most common cancer, colorectal cancer, for Singaporeans aged 40 and above at registered clinics.

This is in addition to checks for diabetes, high blood pressure, lipid disorders, obesity and cervical cancer.
It is also considering introducing vaccination to tackle cervical cancer.

kohht@sph.com.sg

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