Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, currently Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and Public Assistance cardholders receive special subsidies under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS). I would like to propose adding persons with disabilities or special needs as another group of Singaporeans to receive special subsidies under CHAS. They should also receive additional MediSave top-ups and more subsidies for intermediate and long-term care. All this will help persons with disabilities or special needs and their families to defray their medical expenses, which are likely to be larger over their lifetimes.
I would also like to suggest that MOH track the number of individuals under CHAS who are persons with disabilities or special needs, so as to better understand the healthcare expenses and needs of this group of Singaporeans.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam): Third, to Mr Gerald Giam’s question, we support the needs of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and Persons with Special Needs through various financing schemes, including subsidies, national insurance schemes, MediSave, grants and safety nets, such as MediFund. We have recently enhanced some of these schemes. For example, in 2023, the payouts under the Home Caregiving Grant were increased, from $200, to up to $400 per month to further reduce caregiving costs. In general, healthcare subsidies are not based on specific conditions and are instead tiered based on income level, to target those who need more help.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Sir. My clarifications are for Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu.
Secondly, on healthcare subsidies for PwDs, I note the Senior Parliamentary Secretary said that healthcare subsidies are not based on specific categories of people, but are tiered according to income.
But first, does the Senior Parliamentary Secretary agree that this is not the case for the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation who get additional subsidies regardless of their income status? So, can this be applied as well to PwDs? And second, does healthcare means-testing always take into account the many other expenses that PwDs incur for their daily living, which will lower their ability to pay for healthcare regardless of their family income?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Your second question related to the support for the PwDs, I appreciate the point and I can understand. In fact, this is something I also raised with other Ministries, in terms of support for PwDs. We do really have to look at appropriate circumstances. At the moment, a lot of the support that we have given, we have looked at enhancing as it goes along.
And I can say, as a general principle, if there are specific issues of families who need help, we have our tiered-support system where they can definitely get the help they need. Having said that, I think this is something that we will continue to look at and see, where appropriate, we can continue to enhance.
Ministry of Health
5 March 2024 & 6 March 2024
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2378
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2389
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 