MOH takes 6 clinics to task over non-compliant claims for Chas, Covid-19 schemes
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False claims were made by the clinics under MOH’s financing schemes.
PHOTOS: LIFE FAMILY CLINIC/FACEBOOK, LOH & LOH CLINIC & SURGERY/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – Six clinics have been barred from making claims on behalf of patients under the Chas, MediSave and MediShield Life schemes after severe cases of financial non-compliance were uncovered by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
In a statement on July 18, MOH said all terminations and revocations will be effective from July 24 for the following clinics:
Life Family Clinic, located at 713 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 and 50A Choa Chu Kang Loop;
Loh & Loh Clinic & Surgery, located at 501 West Coast Drive and 531 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10; and
Loh & Loh Dental Surgery, located at 501 West Coast Drive and 531 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
Life Family Clinic (Choa Chu Kang Loop), and both Loh & Loh Clinic & Surgery branches will also see their involvement in the Healthier SG preventive care initiative terminated. This means that the clinics will cease to provide relevant benefits to Healthier SG enrollees under their care, and are not allowed to enrol new residents.
Life Family Clinic was found to have made claims under the Swab and Send Home programme and the Home Recovery Programme that house visits that did not take place, and claims for patients who were not Covid-19 positive.
Loh & Loh Clinic & Surgery and Loh & Loh Dental Surgery were found to have made claims under Chas for treatments not administered at the branch they were claimed at, as well as tampered with patients’ addresses in the invoices.
MOH said the non-compliant claims were made by the respective clinics’ key office holders.
It identified Dr Lim Kim Show of Life Family Clinic, and Dr Moses Loh Jing Loong of both Loh & Loh Clinic & Surgery and Loh & Loh Dental Surgery. They will have their MediSave and MediShield Life accreditations revoked.
This means that from July 24, treatments and procedures performed by both doctors will no longer be eligible for Chas, MediSave and MediShield Life claims. However, they may continue to treat patients as their registration with and the practising certification issued by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) remain valid.
MOH has requested both doctors inform affected patients to ensure continuity of care.
“Affected patients may wish to visit other nearby Chas-accredited or MediSave-accredited clinics instead,” it said.
Affected Healthier SG enrollees will be notified that the clinics have been offboarded from Healthier SG, and are advised to change their enrolment to other Healthier SG clinics to continue receiving Healthier SG benefits. They may do so via HealthHub, or by approaching a nearby Healthier SG enrolment station for help.
MOH also assured affected enrollees that their newly enrolled Healthier SG clinics will continue to have access to their health plans and medical information. Chas patients and Healthier SG enrollees of the terminated clinics may refer to the Chas website ( www.chas.sg www.gowhere.gov.sg/healthiersg
“MOH closely monitors clinics’ Chas claims, and most clinics comply with our guidelines,” said the ministry, adding that it takes a serious view of breaches of the Chas guidelines and will not hesitate to act where non-compliance is uncovered.
“In the case of Dr Lim and Dr Loh, we are conducting further investigations which may warrant referral of their cases to the relevant regulatory bodies.”
MOH encouraged patients to actively engage their doctors and dentists if they have any query on their treatment or bills, and reminded all healthcare professionals to uphold a high standard of professionalism and adhere to the Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines of the SMC and Singapore Dental Council.
Chas, Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation cardholders who wish to check the Chas subsidies that clinics have claimed for them may do so by logging into the “My Chas” module on the Chas website, or by calling the Chas hotline (1800-275-2427).
Individuals who come across any suspicious or unusual Chas or MediSave claims made for them may write in to www.moh.gov.sg/feedback
Introduced in 2012, the Chas scheme enables Singapore citizens to receive subsidies for medical and dental care at participating general practitioner (GP) and dental clinics. There are more than 1,300 GP clinics on the Chas scheme as at February 2024.
Healthier SG, launched in the second half of 2023, puts a stronger emphasis on preventive care by pairing residents with family doctors to help them better manage their health. It has more than 870,000 enrollees as at May 2024. A search on the Government’s GoWhere website shows more than 1,100 results for Healthier SG clinics across Singapore.
