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Source: www.moh.gov.sg |
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Question No: 444 Question
By: Mdm Halimah Yacob |
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Question No:
444
Question By: Mdm Halimah Yacob |
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To ask the Minister for Health as one out of
six Singaporeans are reported to suffer from some form of mental
illness, whether the Ministry will consider reviewing the current
exclusion of mental illness from MediShield’s list of treatments and
medical expenses. |
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Reply from MOH |
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Currently, MediShield does not cover the
treatment for mental illness and accordingly its premiums do not price
in such a liability. |
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The financial burden of treating the
mentally ill has therefore fallen largely on the Government and
psychiatric treatment is heavily subsidized. |
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More than 90% of patients treated in the
Institute of Mental Health belong to Class B2/C where the average
bill per day was about $30. This is largely affordable for most
families, through the use of Medisave. |
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For those who cannot afford the
treatment because of prolonged hospitalization, Medifund will come
in to assist the patients. Last year, Medifund disbursed $10.5
million to assist them. |
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We are not closed to the idea of using
insurance to help fund the treatment of the mental illness. We will
study how this is being done in some countries and whether there is
general support for such an idea. |
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Source: www.moh.gov.sg
News 21 Jan 2008 |
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FrontPage Edition: Wed 23 January 2008
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