Promoting Awareness and Help-seeking Behaviour for Early Diagnosis of Young-onset of Dementia
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the barriers to early diagnosis of young-onset dementia and its impact on insurance coverage and fair employment opportunities. Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about strategies to address these challenges, to which Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung highlighted guidelines preventing unnecessary medical declarations. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung clarified that MediShield Life covers pre-existing conditions, unlike commercial insurance which requires actuarial underwriting, often necessitating early policy purchases. Public awareness is managed by the Agency for Integrated Care through media and ground activities to address misconceptions and encourage early help-seeking behavior. Individuals are further supported by Community Intervention Teams and polyclinics, which assist in obtaining professional guidance and facilitating early detection and intervention.
Transcript
77 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health in light of the survey findings revealing that half of Singaporeans resist young-onset dementia testing even when exhibiting symptoms (a) whether the Ministry can clarify the impact of a confirmed diagnosis on insurance coverage and job prospects; (b) how may these barriers be addressed to encourage early detection and intervention; and (c) how does the Ministry plan to enhance public awareness regarding young-onset dementia, address prevalent misconceptions and promote help-seeking behaviours for early diagnosis and support.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, employers should not ask job applicants to declare any medical condition, including young onset dementia, unless it is a specific job-related requirement.
A confirmed dementia diagnosis will not affect MediShield Life coverage, the Government-run national health insurance scheme which does not exclude individuals with pre-existing illness.
It can, however, affect new applications for commercial insurance products, such as life, critical illness and Integrated Shield Plans insurance, which are subject to underwriting based on actuarial and commercial considerations.
The Member is right that this can deter them from seeking screening which may result in early detection. Some members of the public, therefore, purchase these commercial insurance products, especially when they are young and premiums are low, before they go for any comprehensive screening tests. If sufficient individuals do that, logically, it will preserve the viability of insurance companies’ risk pools while enabling individuals to practise good preventive care habits.
As for raising awareness on the importance of early detection, the Agency for Integrated Care collaborates with various partners to do this, including through mass media, public events, web portals and ground engagement activities, and assists those with related concerns in obtaining assistance from service providers, such as Community Intervention Teams and polyclinics.