Tiered Approach for MediSave Withdrawal Limits
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Hamid Razak’s inquiry regarding a tiered approach to MediSave withdrawal limits based on age and the number of chronic conditions. Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam clarified that the MediSave 500/700 scheme is already tiered to support patients with complex conditions and multiple chronic diseases. She noted that the Flexi-MediSave limit for seniors will increase to $400 in October 2025, and the outpatient scan limit will rise to $600 in January 2026. The Minister of State highlighted that the Ministry tracks disease prevalence to regularly review scheme adequacy while balancing current needs with future savings. These measures aim to ensure Singaporeans can afford long-term outpatient care and hospitalisation costs associated with ageing.
Transcript
16 Dr Hamid Razak asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider a tiered approach to MediSave withdrawal limits as an enhancement to the MediSave 500/700 scheme by taking into account factors such as age and the number of chronic conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP).
The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, my response will also address the question for written answer previously filed by Mr Lee Hong Chuang for the Parliament Sitting on 25 September 2025.
MediSave is intended to help Singaporeans afford a range of healthcare needs. Two dominant ones are: managing chronic long-term diseases and larger, one-off costs associated with hospitalisations, which tend to be incurred later in life. Hence, MediSave withdrawal limits are reviewed regularly to judiciously balance between meeting current healthcare needs whilst preserving their MediSave savings for future healthcare needs.
The MediSave500/700 limits for treatment under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) are already tiered. The lower $500 annual limit caters to patients with a single non-complex chronic condition while the higher $700 annual limit is for those with complex chronic conditions, including those with two or more CDMP chronic conditions.
For older patients aged 60 and above, they will also benefit from the Flexi-MediSave scheme, which allows them to withdraw up to an additional $300 annually for their outpatient medical expenses, including those under CDMP. This Flexi-MediSave annual limit will be increased from $300 to $400 from 1 October 2025.
The Ministry of Health will also be increasing the annual outpatient scan withdrawal limit from $300 to $600 with effect from 1 January 2026. This will also help defray medical expenses of Singaporeans including those with long-term medical needs and chronic diseases. We will continue to regularly review the MediSave scheme.
Mr Speaker: I will allow a short supplementary question. Dr Hamid Razak.
Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West): I thank the Minister of State for her reply. As we do screening for Healthier SG, we are bound to see increases in chronic diseases in younger adults as well. I just want to find out if the Ministry is tracking the burden of this disease by different age groups to better inform us of future changes to the Flexi-MediSave scheme.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Mr Speaker, yes, we are tracking the different prevalence and trends. The limits as well as the chronic diseases that come under the CDMP are regularly revised and reviewed so that we can ensure that they remain adequate for those who need them.
1.01 pm
Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Introduction of Government Bills. Minister for Digital Development and Information.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]