The Latest Changes to MediShield Life Cancer Coverage from September 2022

Friends,

Did you know that starting this month, cancer patients can hope to receive even more subsidies for their outpatient drug treatment from their MediShield Life?

Why, 90% of existing cancer drug treatments are now claimable.

Plus, an additional $1,200 for services such as scans, blood tests, and doctor consultations are now claimable each year.

That’s a big win for cancer treatment in Singapore.

To give some context, previously we were only entitled up to $3,000 per month of MediShield Life coverage.

The goal of this “scheme enhancement” is naturally to help reduce cancer drugs prices while keeping MediShield Life premiums sustainable.

But at this point, you might be thinking...

"What's the catch?"

“Government cannot be that nice, right?”

And you might be right to think that way.

Because these changes to MediShield Life came about because of the relatively higher cancer drug prices here.

Unfortunately, in Singapore, we are paying higher prices for cancer drugs than places like South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, and New Zealand.

And ironically, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH), MediShield Life was a contributing factor.

Here’s what their ministry spokesperson said:

“The (drug) company will say even though the drug is only worth S$200 I can charge you S$3,000 because that's what MediShield Life is willing to pay.”

So, to combat this price hike by drug companies, the subsidies are only provided to drugs approved by the MediShield Life Council. This way, MOH has better negotiating power with these companies to decide which drugs are included in their list of "clinically proven and cost-effective outpatient cancer drug treatments."

In a way, that makes perfect sense.

MOH has greater control of which company’s drugs are approved in their list. And only those in the list gets the subsidies.

And as with any list, there are going to be drawbacks such as alternative medicine and non-approved drugs won’t get these subsidies.

But let’s be honest…

There’s no perfect system.

At least in this manner, the bulk of drugs in the list are much more affordable and we won’t have to pay a crazy amount of insurance premiums to our MediShield Life plans.

Speaking of which…

If you have not already done so, do check that you have an existing MediShield Life coverage for cancer and other critical illnesses.

And at the same time, check that you’ve already added an integrated Shield plan coverage to give yourself better protection against costly treatments in the long run.

Feel free to speak with me, if you’ve not or had the chance to do so.