Raised income limit will also see more patients qualify for aid from July
By
Salma Khalik , HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
FROM July, about 1,500 patients can look forward to higher government subsidies at community hospitals. This works out to be one in four of those who use these hospitals each year.
Instead of just three levels of subsidy, there will soon be eight levels with subsidies ranging from 10 per cent to 75 per cent for those at different income groups.
The upper income limit for subsidy will also go up from a per capita income of $1,300 to $1,400.
This is expected to help about 300 patients a year, who now do not get any subsidy, said a spokesman for the Health Ministry (MOH).
The savings would be 'significant', the MOH spokesman said, adding that it would come up to 'hundreds of dollars' per hospitalisation.
For example, a family of four with a total income of $5,300 currently receives no financial help from the Government. With the changes, they will enjoy a 20 per cent subsidy.
The change will also see the income level for the maximum subsidy level go up - from a per capita of $330 to $360.
This means that a family of four with an income of $1,400 will soon get 75 per cent off the hospital bill.
Ms Deborah Chua of St Andrew's Community Hospital said the change makes it 'fairer' since the subsidy difference will only be 10 per cent between income groups.
Community hospitals recently raised some of their fees, making medical care at these hospitals slightly more expensive.
