MediShield Life should seek to rein in out-of-pocket health expenses

THE recent case of an elderly patient whose bill for surgery at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) was barely covered by the national health insurance scheme MediShield Life was startling.

Seow Ban Yam, 82, underwent a procedure to unblock the flow of tears, prior to his cataract surgery. As reported in The Straits Times, the entire bill would have cost around S$12,000. He was charged S$4,477 after subsidy. After application of Medishield's "claim limit", and a deductible of S$3,000, the amount paid by insurance was a piffling S$4.50. Mr Seow was out of pocket by nearly 100 per cent, or to be exact by S$4,472. The case raises pertinent questions on the sufficiency of MediShield Life as a pillar of healthcare financing, particularly for lower income individuals.

To their credit, the Health Ministry and SNEC responded speedily. MOH said that there is an ongoing review of MediShield Life's claim limits and the impact on premiums, to ensure that coverage remains "broad-based and sustainable". The review is expected to be completed in 2020. SNEC is set to introduce fee revisions in March, including for complex operations such as the one that Mr Seow underwent, to ensure that charges remain affordable.