Singapore Budget 2014: Medisave use to be extended to reduce out-of-pocket costs for outpatient care

Posed photo of a person with a stethoscope for stories on medical practitioners. The use of Medisave will be significantly expanded to help people meet their outpatient treatment needs. -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING
Posed photo of a person with a stethoscope for stories on medical practitioners. The use of Medisave will be significantly expanded to help people meet their outpatient treatment needs. -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING

The use of Medisave will be significantly expanded to help people meet their outpatient treatment needs.

First, the $30 deductible each time patients use their Medisave to pay for outpatient treatments will be scrapped. This will take effect from July.

Patients will also be able to draw up to $300 a year should patients need scans for non-cancer diagnosis. Currently, Medisave only covers scans for cancer. This change will take effect early next year.

Another change will allow older people to draw more than the current $400 a year per Medisave account for outpatient treatment. This flexi-Medisave use gives them an extra $200 a year and will start in the first half of next year.

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