S'pore now a super-aged society, those with chronic conditions can withdraw more from MediSave: Ong Ye Kung

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is working on transforming the Singapore healthcare system to cater to the country's needs as an official super-aged society.

Speaking in Parliament on Mar. 5, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung welcomed everyone to "super-aged Singapore".

He first projected in 2023 that the country would attain "super-aged" status in 2026, when 21 per cent or more of the population is 65 and above.

As that proportion was already 20.7 per cent in June 2025, and has been going up by about one percentage point every year, Singapore should have crossed the 21 per cent by now, Ong said.

Transforming the healthcare system

To prepare for an older population, the most complex task is to sustain and transform the healthcare system.

In March 2025, the MOH announced its target to add 2,800 more public acute and community hospital beds between 2025 and 2030.

This will expand the capacity of public hospitals to meet the rising demand for care. These plans are on track, Ong shared.

As for transforming the healthcare system, the shift from a young to an older population means shifting from episodic hospital care towards continuous, multi-disciplinary care across settings.

Preventive care and population health will continue to be the overarching thrust in MOH's strategy for this transformation, Ong said.

AI risk assessment tool

Among the new initiatives to support healthcare transformation is an artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced risk assessment tool.

MOH has developed an AI model for health screenings, adapted to Singapore's local context.

By reviewing a patient's current health status, it can identify if they have a high risk — defined to be 75 per cent or above — of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol within the next three years.

"We chose diabetes and high cholesterol because they are the key drivers of strokes and heart attacks, which affect 60 Singaporeans every day," Ong explained.

If the tool flags a patient as high risk, the doctor may recommend more significant lifestyle adjustments or more frequent screenings.

The tool will be rolled out to doctors for all Healthier SG enrollees from early 2027.

Withdraw more from MediSave

The government will also improve the flexibility of using MediSave, to encourage early intervention and reduce downstream complications.

It will raise the annual withdrawal limit of the MediSave scheme which helps patients pay for the recurrent costs of managing conditions on the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP).

People with a simple chronic condition will be able to withdraw up to S$700 a year, an increase from S$500.

Those with complex chronic conditions will be able to withdraw up to S$1,000 a year, an increase from S$700.

This will benefit over 910,000 patients who currently tap on the scheme — roughly 20 per cent of whom have annual bills exceeding the withdrawal limit, Ong said.

The changes will take effect from January 2027, when the scheme will also be renamed the "MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care Scheme".

MOH will also expand the list of conditions covered under the CDMP to include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, and has been exploring including others such as eczema.

Trade-offs

Acknowledging repeated calls by Members of Parliament (MPs) to liberalise the MediSave scheme over the years, Ong cautioned that trade-offs are inherent in the scheme.

"Using more balances for recurrent medical expenses means having less in the future when we are hospitalised, and vice versa," he said.

"And when the tension becomes too severe, we have to consider raising contribution rates, so that you have a bigger pot to spend."

The government will thus continue to have ongoing, regular reviews to study where they can expand the use of MediSave and provide more flexible withdrawals.

Top images from MDDI/YouTube and Canva