February 13, 2019, 12:45 PM 
The MediSave scheme helps Singaporeans pay for their medical bills. But what happens when withdrawal limits are reached?
On Feb. 12, Workers' Party MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap asked in Parliament how many Singaporeans aged 65 and above have exhausted their annual MediSave withdrawal limits for:
- Outpatient treatments
- Outpatient MRI/CT scans and diagnostics
- Flexible MediSave use
He also asked how many seniors have applied to use their MediSave beyond the annual withdrawal limits.
Appeals for outpatient MediSave use
In a written reply, Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong revealed that over the past two years, MOH has received 200 appeals each year from all age groups, not just seniors, for outpatient MediSave use.
Exceptional circumstances are taken into account, such as financial difficulties, when reviewing appeals on a case-by-case basis.
About half of such appeals were approved.
Changes made to MediSave scheme
According to Gan, about 17 percent of Singaporeans aged 65 years old and above with chronic conditions had fully utilised their MediSave limits.
16 percent of Singaporeans who used MediSave for outpatient diagnostic scans had reached the limit as well.
As for Flexi-MediSave, 16 percent of Singaporeans aged 65 and above had fully used the limit.
However, the MediSave scheme was recently revamped.
The withdrawal limit under the Chronic Disease Management Programme was increased from $400 to $500.
Also, the minimum age for Flexi-MediSave was lowered from 65 to 60 in June 2018.
MOH will continue to monitor the affordability of subsidised care. Patients who require further assistance can seek help from medical social workers at public healthcare institutions.
Top image from SGH's Facebook page.
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