Impact of Recent MediShield Life Coverage Revisions on Out-of-Pocket Payments for Cancer Treatment and Drugs

11 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health with the recent revisions to MediShield Life coverage (a) which cancer services or drugs are likely to contribute to out-of-pocket expenses for the remaining 10% of cancer patients who are not fully subsidised; (b) what options are available to patients who cannot afford their treatment; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider relaxing restrictions on the use of MediSave funds for certain types of cancers, particularly in cases of late-stage cancer where treatment is a priority.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): To reiterate, the Cancer Drug List (CDL) conferred negotiating leverage to the Ministry of Health (MOH), to lower the prices of commonly used and effective cancer drugs. Since its implementation, we have brought down CDL drug prices by an average of 30% and over 60% for some drugs. Today, the CDL covers about 90% of Health Science Authority (HSA)-approved cancer drug treatments in Singapore. We will work with pharmaceutical companies to expand the CDL.

For the remaining 10%, many continue to be able to tap on their insurance rider policies, which can cover drugs beyond the CDL. We also advise that patients and their families discuss the suitability of more cost-effective alternatives on the CDL with their doctors. If both are not possible and the patient is seeing a private doctor, the patient can consider transferring to subsidised care under public hospitals, where we will also explore the possibility of using additional MediSave and availing other forms of financial assistance. We are committed to ensuring that no one will be denied of appropriate care due to an inability to pay.

Mr Speaker: Mr Yip.

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her reply. My first question is on cancer services. I wish to ask whether the Ministry will consider allowing more MediSave use for patients who may need services, like consults and tests, for late-stage cancers. This is because some patients may want to tap on their MediSave instead of burdening their loved ones. Second, how often will the new cap of $3,600 a year for MediShield Life claim limit for cancer drug services be reviewed to ensure that cancer services remain affordable for Singaporeans?

Ms Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member for the questions. The MediSave limit is usually sized to cover the 10% co-insurance of MediShield Life for treatments and the CDL. The current limit is actually more than enough to cover the 10%, so we will not be reviewing this at this juncture. But if the subsidised patient faces financial difficulty – some affordability challenges – after the subsidies, after insurance and after tapping on MediSave, he or she can still apply for financial assistance.

In respect of the question on MediShield Life, we have just done a review of the latest data available and we have raised the services limit quite substantially from $1,200 to $3,600. This would cover nine out of 10 subsidised bills in the Public Healthcare Institutions.

On top of that, patients with Integrated Shield Plans or riders would actually have higher coverage, more than the $3,600 limit that is set. We will continue to monitor this and we will continue to monitor the impact and review data and, if necessary, we will adjust our policies accordingly.