$156m disbursed to needy S'poreans through MediFund
The Medical Endowment Fund (MediFund) provided a total of $156 million in assistance to 1.1 million needy Singaporeans for their medical bills between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.
MediFund is a safety net for needy Singaporeans who are unable to afford their remaining medical bills, after government subsidies and drawing on other means of payment including MediShield Life and MediSave.
With MediFund, no Singaporean would be denied access to appropriate, subsidised care due to an inability to pay.
According to the Ministry of Health, the amount of MediFund assistance provided in FY2023 was comparable to that of FY2022, which was $156.3 million.
The number of approved MediFund applications was 1,095,985 – a 2.7 per cent decrease from 1,126,942 approved applications in FY2022.
There was also a 2.7 per cent decrease in the total number of applications for MediFund support over the same period.
In public healthcare institutions, the total amount of assistance provided to patients was $118 million, compared to $119.3 million in FY2022.
In intermediate and long-term care facilities, the total amount of assistance provided to patients was $37.9 million, compared to $37 million in FY2022.
On average, the amount of MediFund assistance provided was $929 per in-patient admission and $97 per outpatient visit.
Click here for the Medical Endowment Scheme Annual Report 2023/2024.
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