MOH to look into extending co-funding, insurance to young cancer patients for fertility preservation
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Currently, fertility-related treatments are not covered under MediShield Life.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCKPHOTO
SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Health (MOH) will look into extending government co-funding and insurance to young cancer patients who want to preserve their fertility as part of its ongoing commitment to support fertility and parenthood, Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam said in Parliament on Aug 6.
Currently, MediShield Life does not cover fertility-related treatments as it was designed as a basic health insurance scheme to cover large bills for disease treatment in subsidised public hospitals.
However, MediSave can be used for fertility treatments, subject to the assisted reproductive treatment lifetime withdrawal limit of $15,000 per patient.
Ms Rahayu said that today, young women can already tap MediSave for egg freezing if it is done on medical grounds, such as due to cancer treatment.
She added that if they get married in the future and would like to use their eggs for assisted reproduction treatments, they can also receive government co-funding support and use MediSave for their treatments.
Married couples, when both spouses are Singapore citizens, can receive co-funding of up to 75 per cent if they are undergoing assisted conception procedures in a public hospital.
“We will... continue to review the adequacy of co-funding and other support to address the fertility treatments for these patients, and welcome any additional support that charities can provide alongside to address affordability issues,” she said.
She was responding to an adjournment motion filed by Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC). He had asked the Government to improve young cancer patients’ access to fertility preservation, including covering treatments under Integrated Shield Plans.
“A young cancer patient should not have to forgo fertility preservation and the chance of starting a family someday, giving up on dreams of a family just because of cost concerns, tight cash flow, or because the insurance company decided it’s optional to preserve natural biological functions,” he said.
About 6 per cent of newly diagnosed cancer patients are under the age of 40, based on data from Singapore’s National Registry of Diseases Office.
Dr Tan pointed out that every year between 2017 and 2021, an average of 340 young men and 620 young women under the age of 40 were diagnosed with cancer.
Some cancer treatments affect fertility. For example, chemotherapy can affect a young woman’s ovaries, causing infertility, which can be long lasting, he said.
Ms Rahayu said that MOH will study Dr Tan’s proposals to extend government co-funding and insurance, bearing in mind there may be other medically necessary treatments for conditions besides cancer that could affect the fertility of young Singaporeans.
She said the policy shifts the Government has made over the years reflect its ongoing commitment to support fertility and parenthood.
In July 2023, it allowed women between the ages of 21 and 37 to undergo elective egg freezing.
“This is an ongoing journey. We will continue to refine our policies to ensure that these continue to meet Singaporeans’ aspirations and needs in the area,” she said.
