Cancer patients can use Medisave for scans in outpatient clinics from April 1
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 January 2008 1113 hrs

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SINGAPORE: From April, cancer patients can use their Medisave to pay for various diagnostic scans, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerised Axial Tomography or CAT scan (CT scan) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.

This is an extension of the use of Medisave for treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

MediShield will also be tweaked further later this year - to help subsidised patients with large bills cope with payments.

Scans such as an MRI or CT scan to detect cancer cells is a costly affair.

For example, an MRI can cost up to S$800.

Currently, patients can use their Medisave for these tests, but only when they are hospitalised.

Soon, there will be help.

From April, cancer patients can use their Medisave to pay for such tests, even if they are done in an outpatient clinic.

The Health Minister gave the good news after donating blood at the Bloodbank@HSA on Tuesday. This is something he does yearly, close to the Lunar New Year period, to encourage people to do the same. It is also to help beef up blood supply which usually runs low during the festive period.

Mr Khaw said Medisave can only be used by certified cancer patients for their follow-up treatments.

He said, "My fear is abuse. Not by patients, because CT, MRI are all scanning devices and healthy people can be subjected to a lot of CT and MRI too, if they are wrongly advised by the doctor. There are protocols to it, so with cancer, I want to see how well it is implemented, making sure there is no abuse..."

The Health Ministry said that the latest move to further liberalise the use of Medisave is to help cancer patients defray the cost of cancer treatment, as such scans are now part of the standard care for patients.

The move is expected to benefit up to 40,000 cancer patients, with an estimated withdrawal of about S$25 million a year.

There is good news for other patients too - Mr Khaw said those with asthma can also draw on their Medisave to pay for treatment - in a month or two.

It is part of efforts to help patients with chronic diseases manage their conditions better and hence avoid being hospitalised in future.

Future plans include finding a way to help patients with lupus and psoriasis deal with their medical expenses.

Another change to be expected is further tweaking of MediShield, to benefit subsidised patients with large hospital bills of more than S$10,000.

Mr Khaw said by this year, their co-payment portion will be reduced to 20 percent, instead of the current 40 percent.

However, this may need an increase in premiums of up to S$10.

Mr Khaw said, "The last round when we did a reform, it took a lot of sounding out. The public told me please not more than S$10 a month, so I take that as the limit...this was 3 years ago...I don't see the mood has changed much between then and now."

Mr Khaw said he is also emphasising to the public the importance of proper healthcare financing during his ongoing dialogue sessions on means testing. - CNA/ms