CHAS subsidies more than six times amount given out in 2013
A registration booth for the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) at a CHAS Family Carnival held at Tampines Community Plaza. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — The amount of subsidies given out last year under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) increased to more than six times the amount beneficiaries received in 2013.
Close to half of the 1.4 million CHAS or Pioneer Generation cardholders received subsidies — amounting to S$167 million, compared with over S$25 million in 2013 — thus reducing their bills at participating general practitioners (GPs) and dentists.
Giving this update at the CHAS family carnival on Sunday (March 13), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that 650,000 Singaporeans tapped the scheme last year.
Under CHAS, Singaporeans from lower- to middle-income households receive subsidies for medical and dental care at participating outlets.
To date, there are more than 1,500 CHAS clinics islandwide. Within Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency, which is Mr Gan’s constituency, there are 27 GP and 21 dental clinics treating 69,000 pioneers and CHAS cardholders.
Mr Gan said he was encouraged that GPs are doing more to support their patients. One example would be an increased involvement in managing chronic conditions.
The number of chronic conditions covered under the scheme has almost doubled from 10 in 2012 to 19 today, and include anxiety, bipolar disorder and hypertension.
In 2014, the age criterion was removed, allowing CHAS households to wholly receive the subsidies.
Consequently, the number of CHAS chronic patients who visited participating GPs increased from 107,000 in 2014 to 160,000 in last year.
“Our GPs do a lot more than just treat common coughs and colds ... They vaccinate our children, perform health screening when we get older, manage our chronic diseases, and support us with health advice as we go through different life stages,” said Mr Gan.
“As they know our family better, they are also able to take into consideration our family needs and risks, and advise us better ... We hope every Singaporean will have a regular family doctor, so that care can be closer to you. We will be doing more to encourage this.”
GPs interviewed by TODAY noted an increase in the number of CHAS patients visiting them over the years. At Central 24-HR Clinic Group, medical director Lye Tong Fong estimated a threefold increase in patients over the past two years.
Dr Loke Kam Weng, a senior family physician at EJ Tan Clinic and Surgery, sees about one in five patients with the CHAS or Pioneer Generation card at his clinic in Jurong East nowadays. While he used to have about 20 to 30 such patients a month, this figure has climbed to between 100 and 200 a month.
Dr Loke advised patients to stay with “one or two” family physicians for better continuity of care.
“If you have chest pain and go to the hospital straightaway, that escalates costs,” he said. “A family physician will know your history and might be able to diagnose better.”
Asked how GPs can be better supported, Dr Loke suggested having additional subsidies for postgraduate training “to encourage more GPs to upgrade”.
Dr Lye, on the other hand, hopes for greater drug subsidies for private GPs, to lower cost differences between the public and private sectors.
Engineer Joseph Lee, 27, whose family is on CHAS, said the subsidies have been useful for his family so far: “My mother has high blood pressure and visits the doctor quite often. The benefits help to defray the expenses.”
