MOH to expand CHAS subsidies for dental procedures from Oct 1

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Sep 1) announced enhanced Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) subsidies for dental procedures.

From Oct 1, CHAS Orange card holders will be able to get a subsidy extension of up to S$45.50 (US$35.40) for 10 basic and preventive dental procedures, such as scaling and polishing, MOH said in its press release.

Orange CHAS card holders - households earning between S$1,501 and S$2,300 a month - will be eligible for a subsidy amount of up to S$13.50 for consultation and polishing, and S$45.50 for a posterior tooth extraction for each claim.

Currently, these subsidies are only available to CHAS Blue cardholders – households earning S$1,500 and below a month – and Pioneer and Merdeka generation seniors.

There will also be increased subsidies for seven restorative dental procedures from Oct 1.

They include root canal treatment and dentures for Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation, as well as CHAS Blue and CHAS Orange cardholders.

A Pioneer Generation senior can now claim subsidies of up to S$625 for a permanent crown and S$594.50 for a molar root canal treatment. Previously, the subsidies for a permanent crown were between S$137.50 and S$625, and S$266.50 to S$594.50 for a molar root canal treatment.

There are no changes across the board for a denture repair procedure.

Additionally, seniors aged 60 and above can also use their Flexi-MediSave to offset up to S$400 a year for root canal treatments and permanent crowns from mid-2026 at CHAS dental clinics and public healthcare institutions, said MOH.

DENTAL FEE BENCHMARKS

In line with the increase in government support, MOH will also introduce fee benchmarks for common dental procedures to provide a reference for patients and providers, to "enable better informed decisions and promote transparency in dental fees".

"The fee benchmarks complement the increase in government support to ensure more affordable and accessible dental care for Singaporeans," MOH said.

MOH also appointed a dental fee benchmarking advisory committee, which has developed a set of fee benchmarks for 18 CHAS dental procedures. The government has accepted the committee's recommendations in full, said MOH.

For each procedure, the committee reviewed past CHAS claims and took into account the "variation in complexity associated with each procedure, fee clustering, and reasonableness of the fee benchmark range".

It also consulted professional associations and dental clinics on the principles and approach for developing the benchmarks.

"The recommended fee benchmarks generally reflect the majority of current charging practices for typical cases performed in private dental clinics in the primary care setting," MOH said.

According to the benchmarks, a consultation could cost between S$21 and S$31 while scaling services could range between S$35 and S$60.

To ensure that the benchmarks remain relevant and up to date,  it will be reviewed periodically, said MOH.

MOH also stressed that the fee benchmarks are not meant to be "strict fee caps", but are meant to serve as a reference for patients and dental clinics.

"Dental providers should refer to and quote the relevant fee benchmark when discussing treatment charges with patients.

"Patients should use these benchmarks as a reference point when considering their care options and making decisions about treatment," MOH said.

CHAS dental clinics are required to display the fee benchmarks prominently from October.

From Sep 1, 2026, CHAS dental clinics will also be required to submit clinical justifications for CHAS subsidy claims that exceed the fee benchmarks.

All CHAS dental clinics from mid-2026 will also be required to onboard the Flexi-MediSave scheme, said MOH.

Dental practitioners in CHAS dental clinics will also need to be MediSave-accredited.

This is aligned with the approach for CHAS medical clinics and practitioners, said the ministry.

CHAS dental clinics can submit their application to onboard Flexi-MediSave from October while practitioners can start applying for MediSave accreditation from now, it added.

Clinics that are not Flexi-MediSave-accredited by the end of 2026 will be offboarded from the CHAS scheme.