Healthcare for Singaporeans with chronic diseases will be more affordable
Healthcare for Singaporeans suffering from chronic illnesses will be made more affordable with the introduction of a new Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) card.
At the Ministry of Health's (MOH) Committee of Supply debate yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Health Edwin Tong announced enhancements to be made to the scheme, including a new green card that will come into effect on Nov 1.
The card will allow Singaporeans who suffer from a single chronic illness to claim up to $28 each medical visit, capped at $112 a year.
For those with more than one such condition, the subsidy will be $40 a visit, capped at $160 a year.
Currently, Chas subsidies - for Pioneer Generation cards, blue cards and orange cards - are available to those whose households have an annual value of $21,000 and below.
Chas Green will be applicable to those with per capita household income greater than $1,800.
Beyond the new Chas card, the MOH also announced several new measures to make healthcare more accessible and well supported, including:
Better support for pregnant women
- There will be more financial support for women suffering from pregnancy complications. Some of the benefits will be available from April 1 when MediShield Life coverage will be extended to inpatient treatment for 24 serious pregnancy and delivery-related complications under the existing inpatient claim limits. From June, MOH will also extend subsidised screening under the Screen For Life programme to women who have had gestational diabetes.
Increase overall health and positive lifestyle change
- The ministry announced its intent to restrict the use of harmful partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) with the view to eventually ban the ingredient entirely in both locally produced and imported pre-packaged foods. PHOs are high in trans-fat, which are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, and are commonly found in snacks, baked goods, prepared meals and fat spreads.
- Introduction of patient empowerment for self-care framework to target diabetes. To encourage lifestyle change and self-care, educational materials will be released in four languages, as well as training for volunteers to enhance soft skills.
More career pathways and resources for nursing professionals
- Shortened training pathways for those upgrading to a diploma in nursing from the Institute of Technical Education, from 21/2 years to two years.
- Launch of the National Nursing Academy, a virtual network for nurses to access resources and upgrade skills. The academy will grant access to a comprehensive suite of services and will be accessible to institutes of higher learning, training providers, healthcare institutions, and schools .
- Launch of the Skills Framework for Healthcare to document the roles, competencies and training programmes for various aspects of the industry, including nursing and physiotherapy.
- ADDITIONALREPORTING BY ADELINE TAN
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