The council will also consider extending MediShield Life coverage to more types of outpatient and home-based care, as well as improving coverage of treatments already included in the scheme, such as dialysis.
The Mobile Inpatient Care-at-Home or MIC@Home is one home-based care service which will be covered by MediShield Life and other schemes and subsidies from Apr 1.
The council will also explore how MediShield Life coverage can be expanded to cell, tissue and gene therapy products (CTGTPs) intended for therapeutic, preventive, palliative or diagnostic purposes.
“Medical science is advancing rapidly, and CTGTPs have the potential to revolutionise healthcare and deliver effective treatment of previously incurable diseases,” said Mr Ong.
However, while the technology is promising and advancing fast, it is nascent and very expensive, he added. “It could cost anything from a few hundred thousand dollars to a few million dollars, per treatment.”
Mr Ong said: “We want to start including CTGTPs under MediShield Life coverage. But we need to put in place safeguards to ensure that financing of CTGTPs is sustainable.”
For instance, this will mean extending MediShield Life coverage only to treatments that are assessed to be safe, clinically effective and cost-effective. “This is a significant step to help all Singaporean patients, regardless of their income levels, have access to cost-effective, novel, state-of-the-art therapies.”
These proposed changes will better protect subsidised patients against major health episodes, said Mr Ong, adding that MediShield Life premiums will inevitably go up.
“The last time we reviewed the scheme, premiums went up by 25 per cent on average,” Mr Ong pointed out.
“But rest assured that we will do the necessary to ensure that as far as possible, premiums can be paid fully by MediSave.”
For example, the ministry will consider enhancing premium subsidies, or MediSave top-ups for specific groups.
“We may have to use more MediSave for small hospital bills so that MediShield Life can better focus on big hospital bills, and that way, we moderate premium increases,” Mr Ong said.
“No one will lose MediShield Life coverage due to a genuine inability to afford premiums,” he added.
The MediShield Life Council is expected to finalise its recommendations in the second half of the year.
