Average Annual Cost for Mental Health Treatment at Public Health Institutions and Proposal for Use of MediSave for such Treatment
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question, raised by Dr Shahira Abdullah, concerns the average annual cost of mental health treatment at public institutions and the expansion of MediSave usage to more private clinics. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung stated that 2020 post-subsidy annual bills averaged $110 at polyclinics and $270 at specialist outpatient clinics, supported by subsidies of up to 75%. He noted that patients can use $500 or $700 from MediSave annually for mental health conditions, and 90% of patients did not reach these limits in 2021. While MediSave is already accepted at polyclinics and over 90 accredited private clinics, the Minister welcomed more clinics to apply for accreditation through the Agency for Integrated Care. This initiative seeks to increase the number of private practitioners authorized to make MediSave claims for patients seeking mental health services.
Transcript
61 Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the average treatment cost of seeking help for mental health issues in a public health institution per year; and (b) whether the use of MediSave for mental health treatment under the Chronic Disease Management Programme can be extended to include more private clinics, given the increase in the need for mental health services.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Patients are eligible for up to 75% subsidies when seeking outpatient treatment at the polyclinics and public specialist outpatient clinics (SOCs), with Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors eligible for an additional 50% and 25% off their subsidised bills respectively.
In CY2020, the average post-subsidy annual bill size for outpatient treatment of mental health conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) in the polyclinics and public SOCs was around $110 and $270 respectively.
Patients can tap on MediSave at up to $500 or $700 per year to pay for their post-subsidy outpatient treatment of CDMP mental health conditions, depending on the complexity of their condition. In 2021, nine in 10 of all patients who withdrew MediSave under the CDMP did not reach their annual $500 or $700 limits.
Patients can tap on MediSave for their mental health treatment at polyclinics as well as more than 90 accredited GPs and private clinics currently. We welcome more clinics to be accredited and trained to make MediSave claims for mental illnesses. Clinics may apply through the Agency for Integrated Care.