GPC: Reduce Medisave curbs

SINGAPORE - The Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health has submitted a report to Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, listing the changes it would like to see in health-care financing.

Led by Dr Lam Pin Min, the team of MPs spent months gathering feedback from the ground and from health-care professionals and social workers.

The GPC said that restrictions on Medisave usage that "over encourages" the use of hospital services should be reduced.

Medisave should also be allowed to be used for more services, such as health screening, essential dental procedures, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, up to a certain cap, it added.

It recommended that Medisave withdrawal limits should also be regularly reviewed, so that it will not be depleted prematurely.

The GPC also wants the Government to strengthen and expand MediShield coverage, and suggests that younger people pay more premiums for MediShield insurance to offset the higher premiums they pay when they age.

Government top-ups for MediShield should be used only to pay premiums; the Government should also subsidise more drugs.

The GPC also called for a review of existing medical assistance schemes and frameworks like the Community Health Assist Scheme and the Chronic Disease Management Programme, reported Channel NewsAsia.

Mr Gan said the ministry is studying the suggestions, adding that many of the current policy reviews are aligned to the recommendations.

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