Medisave allowed in hospitals overseas

Since March 2010, Singaporeans have been able to use their Medisave to help cover their overseas hospital bills, but conditions apply.

Medisave funds were at first allowed only for emergency procedures overseas, but feedback from the grassroots led to the scheme being extended to cover elective hospitalisation abroad as well. The move was aimed at giving Singaporeans a wider choice, which could translate into cost savings.

The website of the Ministry of Health points out, however, that conditions apply, in order to ensure quality of care and prevent potential abuse.

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The following conditions apply to the use of Medisave for elective hospitalisation overseas:

- The use of Medisave is limited to hospitalisations and day surgery; it cannot be used for outpatient treatment;

- The overseas hospital must have an approved working arrangement with a Medisave-accredited institution or referral centre in Singapore;

- The patient must be referred through a Medisave-accredited institution or referral centre in Singapore;

- The local centre must provide pre-admission clinical assessment and financial counselling to the interested patient; and

- The local centre will be accountable for patient satisfaction and the clinical outcome.

The scheme was launched with two providers - Health Management International (HMI) and the then Parkway Holdings.

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This article was first published on March 29, 2016.
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