How to Use Medisave to Cover Your Outpatient Costs?

Everyone in Singapore has Medisave, but do you know what and how you can use it? Find out more on how you can use your Medisave for various medical services including outpatient costs.

In Singapore, Medisave is a national savings scheme that helps individuals set aside part of their income to pay for their personal or dependents’ hospitalisation, day surgery, certain outpatient expenses, and old age healthcare needs.

What can MediSave be used for?

Here’s a list of things that Medisave can be used for:

Premium payments for Medishield Life, Integrated Shield Plans and ElderShield or CareShield Life

You can use MediSave to pay for your own health insurance premiums, or those of your approved dependents. MediShield Life and ElderShield or CareShield Life premiums can be covered fully by MediSave. You can also use MediSave to pay for Integrated Shield Plan (ISPs) and ElderShield Supplement premiums, up to withdrawal limits.

Inpatient care

You can use MediSave to pay for your own or approved dependents’ hospitalisation expenses in Singapore.

The total MediSave claimable for a given inpatient or day surgery episode is the sum of the daily hospital charge limit and the surgical limit.

Daily hospital limit

The inpatient daily hospital limit applies if the patient is admitted to the hospital for at least 8 hours, while the day surgery limit applies if a patient undergoes a surgical operation listed under the Table of Surgical Procedures and is admitted and discharged within the same day. The claim limits are as follows:

Inpatient episodes

Up to $550 for the first two days of admission and $400 per day from the third day onwards for daily hospital charges, in addition to any surgical limit applicable (below).

Inpatient psychiatric episodes

Up to $150 per day for daily hospital charges, subject to a maximum of $5,000 a year.

Approved day surgeries

Up to $300 per day for daily hospital charges, in addition to the surgical limit (below).

Surgical limit (inpatient and day surgery)

The surgical limit depends on the complexity of the operation, according to the Table of Surgical Procedures (TOSP), as given below. See the TOSP for the full list of surgeries and their MediSave withdrawal limits.

Colonoscopy Screenings

You can use MediSave for screening colonoscopies where recommended, subject to the prevailing TOSP withdrawal limit for colonoscopy procedures plus $300 per day for associated day surgery charges.

Inpatient stay at other settings

• Stay in approved community hospitals
  Up to $250 per day for daily hospital charges, subject to a maximum of $5,000 a year.
• Stay in approved convalescent hospitals
  Up to $50 per day for daily hospital charges, subject to a maximum of $3,000 a year.
• Treatment in approved day hospitals
  Up to $150 per day for daily hospital charges, subject to a maximum of $3,000 a year.

Treatments to help with conceiving, pregnancy and delivery expenses

MediSave Maternity Package

Apart from the prevailing inpatient withdrawal limits, you are also entitled to an additional $900 for pre-delivery medical expenses. Find out more about Marriage and Parenthood Schemes here.

Assisted Conception Procedures (ACP)

You can also use Medisave for ACP treatment cycles regardless of whether treatment is received in inpatient or outpatient setting. Only the patient’s and her spouse’s MediSave accounts may be used. The withdrawal limits are:

• 1st cycle – $6,000
• 2nd cycle – $5,000
• 3rd and subsequent cycles – $4,000

A lifetime MediSave withdrawal limit of $15,000 per patient for ACP also applies.

Long Term Care

Stay in approved inpatient hospice palliative care services (IHPCS)

Up to S$250 per day for general palliative care, and up to $350 per day for specialised palliative care

Day Rehabilitation at approved day rehabilitation centres

Up to $25 per day for day rehabilitation charges, subject to a maximum of $1,500 a year

Home palliative and day hospice care

A combined lifetime withdrawal limit of $2,500 per patient for day hospice and home palliative care (adults and paediatrics).
For day hospice and adult home palliative care patients diagnosed with terminal cancer or end stage organ failure, there will not be any withdrawal limit if the bill is paid using the patient’s own MediSave account.

MediSave Care

From 2020, severely disabled Singapore Residents aged 30 and above will be able to withdraw up to $200 per month for their long-term care needs. The withdrawal quantum depends on the MediSave balance at the point of monthly withdrawal, as given below.

Types of outpatient medical services covered by MediSave

For the majority of us, however, the most useful coverage that Medisave provides is for outpatient care. 

MediSave500 or MediSave700 Scheme

From 1 Jan 2021, patients with complex chronic conditions will be able to use up to $700 per patient yearly, while other patients will be able to use up to $500 per patient yearly for the following treatments. 

Outpatient treatments of the following 20 conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) (subject to 15% co-payment by patient): 

• Diabetes 
• Hypertension
• Lipid disorders 
• Stroke
• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 
• Schizophrenia
• Major depression
• Bipolar disorders
• Dementia
• Osteoarthritis
• Anxiety
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Nephrosis/nephritis
• Epilepsy
• Osteoporosis
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ischaemic heart disease
  

Childhood Vaccinations (under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule)

• Pneumococcal vaccinations (for children below 5 years of age)
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (for females between 9 and 26 years of age)
• Cervarix
• Gardasil (4-valent HPV vaccine)
• Hepatitis B vaccination
• Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
• Tuberculosis (BCG)
• Diphtheria, Pertussis & Tetanus (DTaP/Tdap)
• Poliomyelitis
• Haemophilus Influenza Type B (Hib)
• Varicella

Adult Vaccinations (for target populations under the National Adult Immunisation Schedule)

• Influenza*
• Pneumococcal vaccinations*
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (for females between 9 and 26 years of age)
• Cervarix
• Gardasil (4-valent HPV vaccine)
• Hepatitis B vaccination
• Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
• Diphtheria, Pertussis & Tetanus (DTaP/Tdap)
• Varicella

Health Screening

• Mammogram Screenings (for women aged 50 and above)
• Selected screening tests for newborns in the outpatient setting

Other outpatient services that MediSave covers

You can also use Medisave for other outpatient treatment and services that are less commonly needed. 

Flexi-MediSave for the Elderly

From July 2018, patients aged 60 and above can use up to $200 per patient per year from their own or their spouse’s MediSave Account for outpatient medical treatment, as well as approved vaccinations and screenings. Both should be aged 60 and above for the patient to tap on the spouse’s MediSave Account. From 1 June 2021, the limit has been enhanced to $300 per patient per year.

Flexi-MediSave can be used at:

• Specialist Outpatient Clinics in the public hospitals and national specialty centres;
• Polyclinics; and
• Participating Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Medical GP clinics.
  
  Flexi-MediSave can be used together with other outpatient MediSave limits, such as the MediSave500/700 limit.

Outpatient renal dialysis treatment

Up to $450 a month from the patient’s MediSave Account. Patients aged 21 and below may use their parents’ MediSave Account instead.

The monthly limit can be used for haemodialysis (HD) conducted in approved renal dialysis centres, automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) conducted at home. From 15 Mar 2021, patients may also tap on the same limit for intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD) conducted in outpatient setting in approved medical institutions.

List of consumables that can be paid for using MediSave for renal dialysis treatment at home are:
– Arterio venous blood line
– Arterio venous fistula needle
– Dialysate
– Peritoneal dialysis (PD) drainage bag
– HD dialyser
– Intravenous infusion set
– Normal saline or bicarbonate solution
– Transfer set
– Disinfection cap
– Connection shield
– APD casette
– HD locking solution
– HD catheter cap and connector
– Filters for portable reverse osmosis (RO) machines and HD machines
– Anticoagulants for HD circuits

Outpatient radiotherapy for cancer patients

• For External Therapy (except hemi-body radiotherapy), $80 per treatment
• For Hemi-body radiotherapy, $80 per treatment
• For Brachytherapy, $360 per treatment
• For Stereotactic radiotherapy, $2,800 per treatment

Outpatient radiosurgery treatment for cancer patients (Gamma Knife or Novalis shaped beam treatment)

• Up to $7,500 per course of treatment

Outpatient chemotherapy for cancer patients

• Up to $1,200 per month per patient
  Includes analgesic medication and suppressive treatments (neuro-endocrine and nuclear medicine treatments). 

Outpatient MRI scans, CT scans and other diagnostics for cancer patients

• Up to $600 per year per patient

Outpatient scans for diagnosis or treatment of a medical condition

• Up to $300 per year per patient
  Does not apply to plain X-rays or scans that are already claimable under other MediSave schemes such as scans for cancer treatment, scans for chronic disease under the Chronic Disease Management Programme or antenatal scans

Outpatient anti-retroviral treatment for HIV patients

• Up to $550 per month per patient
  Includes drugs used for the treatment of opportunistic infections.
  Only the patient’s own MediSave may be used. For patients aged 21 and below, their parents’ MediSave may be used.

Outpatient Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

• Up to $100 per treatment cycle

Outpatient Intravenous Antibiotic Treatment

• $600 per weekly cycle, up to $2,400 a year

Outpatient Long Term Oxygen Therapy and Infant Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy

• Up to $150 per month per patient may be used for the rental of the devices that provide concentrated oxygen or pressured oxygen for the above treatments.

Outpatient Immuno-Suppressants for patients after organ transplants

• Up to $300 per month per patient

Long-term Parenteral Nutrition

• Up to $200 per month per patient

Outpatient Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant for multiple myeloma treatment

• Up to $2,800 per year per patient 

Desferrioxamine Drug and Blood Transfusion for Thalassaemia

• Up to $550 per month per patient

How to use MediSave to pay 

Figuring out how to pay with your MediSave can be an administrative headache, but thankfully medical staff at most healthcare institutions are able to advise you on the funding and payment options available to you, and assist you to claim from your MediSave, MediShield Life, and other IP plans. You simply need to provide them the authorisation and consent to do so. 

1. Download the MCAF

• MCAF(S): If you are visiting a non-public healthcare institution, or prefer to provide authorisation at each visit.
  
• MCAF(M): If you would like to perform a one-time authorisation for your current and future treatments at all participating institutions*. You may alternatively submit your MCAF(M) authorisation electronically via HealthHub.

2. Complete the form to withdraw funds from your MediSave account for approved treatment for you and your immediate family members, and/or to make a claim from your MediShield Life/Integrated Shield Plan.

• Guide on how to complete the MCAF (For inpatient treatments)
• Guide on how to complete the MCAF (For outpatient treatments)

3. Submit the form to the MediSave-accredited medical institution where you are receiving treatment.

MediSave-accredited institutions include:

• Public hospitals
• Private hospitals
• Polyclinics
• MediSave-accredited General Practitioner (GP) and
• MediSave-accredited dental clinics

How to make a MediSave reimbursement claim yourself

You can also make a Medisave claim for reimbursement from your employer or insurer if you have benefits or insurance coverage for your medical expenses. 

Simply submit relevant documents such as the finalised medical bill, MediSave/MediShield Life claims statement and/or MediSave withdrawal statement to your employer or insurer and they will proceed to reimburse your Medisave expenses. 

If you had used a combination of cash, MediSave and MediShield Life

The order in which employer or insurer should reimburse you is:

• To you, for any cash you’ve paid
• To your MediSave, for any amount deducted
• Any payout made from your MediSave-approved Integrated Shield Plan or MediShield Life.

If you used only MediSave or MediShield Life:

Reimbursement will be made to your MediSave or MediShield Life. Your employer or insurer cannot pay you in cash for the part of your medical bill that you paid using your own MediSave or MediShield Life.

Who can you use your MediSave for?

Other than for your own healthcare needs, you can also use your Medisave for your approved dependents such as your spouse, children, or parents. 

Now that you’re more well-equipped to use your Medisave with this guide, you shouldn’t fear going for your necessary outpatient treatments. 

Homage provides caregiving services for your loved ones at every stage. Our trained care professionals are able to provide companionship, nursing care, night caregiving, home therapy and more, to keep your loved ones active and engaged. 

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