Accreditation of Clinics for Mental Health Treatments under Chronic Diseases Management Programme

43 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what criteria the Ministry takes into account to accredit clinics for submission of MediSave claims for mental health treatments under the Chronic Diseases Management Programme (CDMP); and (b) whether the Ministry has considered allowing one-off claims from these accredited providers for mental health treatments not under the CDMP.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: General Practitioners (GPs) must be part of the Mental Health General Practitioner Partnership (MHGPP) programme, to be accredited to submit MediSave claims for mental health treatments under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP). The MHGPP programme ensures that GPs have the adequate training and experience to manage patients with mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in the community. All GPs can apply to this programme, as long as they have the necessary qualifications or clinical experience in mental healthcare.

Mental health conditions beyond CDMP are not MediSave-claimable. However, patients may still receive subsidies of up to 75% at polyclinics and specialist outpatient clinics for such non-CDMP conditions. Patients aged 60 years and above can also tap on Flexi-MediSave to pay for these treatments and medications, up to the prevailing withdrawal limit.