The government has announced a set of changes to the Medisave/Medishield scheme. From 1 December 2008, the medical insurance scheme Medishield's premiums will be raised together with increased claim limits.
The daily ward and treatment charges inpatient and day surgery claim limit will be revised from $250 to $450 per day for normal wards, and from $500 to $900 per day for ICU wards. For cancer patients, the 7-day cycle chemotherapy limit will increase from $150 to $270, and per 21-day or 28-day cycle from $700 to $1240; stereotactic radiotherapy will increase to $1,800 from $1,000 per treatment. Deductibles remain the same except for age range above 80 to 85 years old, which will see an increase from $1,500 to $3,000 in Class B2 and from $1,000 to $2,000 in Class C.
These changes are expected to bring the insurance coverage of large Class B2 and Class C ward hospital bills from up to 60% to up to 80%.
With the new increased claim limits comes the necessary premium increases as well. The table below shows the new raised amounts:
| Age Range | Existing Annual Premiums ($) | Revised Annual Premiums ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 31-40 | 40 | 54 |
| 41-50 | 80 | 114 |
| 51-60 | 160 | 225 |
| 61-65 | 225 | 332 |
| 66-70 | 265 | 372 |
| 71-73 | 335 | 390 |
| 74-75 | 375 | 462 |
| 76-78 | 420 | 524 |
| 79-80 | 510 | 615 |
| 81-83 | 600 | 1087 |
| 84-85 | 705 | 1123 |
Inline with the increased Medishield premiums, the amounts of which are greatest for those above 80, the Medisave annual limit allowed to be withdrawn for paying Medishield premiums will be raised from $800 to $1,150 for those above 80 years old. This change takes effect from 1 December 2008. The limit remains as $800 for other age ranges.
MOH has also announced that the government will add to the one-time top-ups for the Medisave accounts of older Singaporeans announced during Budget 2008. The additional amount of $100 will be added to those aged 81 and above.
This brings the updated top-ups for Medisave (expected in September 2008) to:
| Age | Top-Up Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| 51 - 60 | 150 |
| 61 - 70 | 250 |
| 71 - 75 | 350 |
| 76 - 80 | 450 |
| 81 and above | 550 |