TODAY, 29 Oct 2014
About S$130 million in Medifund assistance was provided in FY2013, a 27 per cent increase from S$102 million a year ago. Of this aid, elderly patients received about S$43 million — 30 per cent more compared to the estimated S$33 million a year ago.
Some 30 per cent more applications were also approved, from 587,000 in FY2012 to 766,000 in FY2013.
“This higher amount of Medifund assistance given reflected the wider range of services covered by Medifund and was supported by Government’s capital injection of $1 billion in FY2013,” said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement.
For instance, Medifund Junior was introduced last year to better target assistance at children from needy families. Medifund was also extended to support patients who need care at the polyclinics or services such as dental, antenatal and delivery.
Medifund was set-up in 1993 to assist Singaporeans who are unable to afford medical bills, even after Government subsidies, Medisave and MediShield. Medifund assistance varies according to the patient’s financial situation.
In FY2013, about 93 per cent of the successful applications received full assistance, with their outstanding subsidised bills fully paid for by Medifund. The figure is similar to last year’s figure. On average, the amount of Medifund assistance provided was S$1,579 per inpatient treatment, and S$103 per outpatient treatment.
Said the MOH: “The Government has committed significant sums to Medifund over the years, to strengthen our social safety net and support these enhancements to Medifund.”
With the S$1 billion injection into Medifund in FY2013, the combined capital sums for Medifund and Medifund Silver stood at S$4 billion at the end of the Financial Year.
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