Medical Panels for Healthcare Groups Operating Restructured Hospitals to Provide Holistic View on Patients' Treatment
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry’s proposal to establish medical panels at healthcare clusters to provide holistic treatment plans and manage financial appeals for complex cases. Minister Ong Ye Kung responded that centralizing clinical decisions is not optimal, as diagnosis and treatment are best managed by doctors at the bedside. He explained that while major subsidy and MediSave policies are set centrally, additional support via MediFund is handled at the institutional level. Each public healthcare institution has its own MediFund Committee with the discretion to assess applications based on individual medical and financial circumstances. This decentralized approach ensures flexibility and responsiveness for those who need assistance most, rather than relying on a centralized panel for decisions.
Transcript
29 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry can set up a medical panel at each of the three medical healthcare groups, staffed with senior or retired doctors who can provide a holistic view on patients' treatment plans, drug subsidies, and appeals for use of MediSave or MediFund funding for a select group of patients, especially those with chronic conditions, who are facing differing assessments from different healthcare institutions.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Member is calling for more centralisation of decision-making for certain patients, with regard to their treatment plans and financial support. This will however not be optimal. Indeed, doctors have different opinions when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. However, it is generally in the interest of the patient for such decisions to made as close to the bedside as possible, instead of relying on a panel or body of experts residing at the hospital or cluster level.
As for financial support, policies relating to subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life are determined centrally by the Ministry of Health. However, when it comes to additional financial support to individual patients, such as MediFund, these will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at the level of the healthcare institution, taking into consideration factors, such as the nature and duration of the treatment, the cost and the family's financial situation. Each public healthcare institution has a MediFund Committee, with full discretion to assess and approve applications. This decentralised approach enables the Committees to exercise flexibility and be quick and responsive to those who need the help the most.