SINGAPORE – Greater support for certain fertility treatments, more eldercare options and enhanced subsidies for more drugs under Healthier SG are some of the Government initiatives for which the Ministry of Health (MOH) provided updates on March 6.
Making shared stay-in senior care services widely available
As family sizes shrink and more senior care options are needed, services where a live-in caregiver takes care of several seniors in a single apartment will be made a mainstream option.
This comes after a trial of such eldercare services, the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox, was launched in September 2023.
More than 200 seniors have enrolled in the service since then, said Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on March 7, responding to questions from Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang).
Companies that took part in the trial were afforded certain work pass flexibilities – such as additional foreign worker quota and more options to hire from other countries – to help determine sustainable deployment of manpower to cater to the needs of seniors around the clock.
MOH said it had received positive feedback regarding the trial from providers as well as seniors and their next-of-kin, and would thus make the service mainstream with the support of the Manpower Ministry and the Agency for Integrated Care.
Work pass flexibilities will be extended to firms intending to provide such services, MOH added.
“This service will not be licensed, as it provides caregiving support similar to how family members would care for their loved ones at home,” said Mr Masagos, adding all companies willing to work with the authorities on similar innovative care models to support ageing-in-place were welcome to do so.
Application details and a guide detailing recommended practices when providing or seeking such services will be made available to companies from the second half of 2025.
Improving financial support for fertility preservation procedures
From June, up to 80 per cent in means-tested subsidies will be extended to embryo, egg and sperm freezing procedures for those who aspire to be parents but face irreversible infertility because of treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Means-testing uses criteria such as per capita household income to ensure subsidies go to those who need them more.
And from June 2026, MediShield Life coverage will also be extended to embryo and egg freezing, while MediSave will be extended to all components of embryo freezing, including costs before and after the procedure.
Ovarian tissue freezing, which is already eligible for up to 80 per cent in means-tested subsidies, will also have MediShield Life and MediSave coverage extended to cover the procedure in June next year.
“Those who still face challenges with the cost of their fertility preservation treatments arising from medically necessary treatments may also approach medical social workers at their public healthcare institutions for further assistance, including to apply for MediFund,” said Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam, announcing the measures in Parliament.
“With these changes, we hope to assure patients facing medical challenges that their dreams of starting a family in the future are still within reach,” she added.
Three more drugs eligible for enhanced subsidies under Healthier SG chronic tier
Three more drugs will be eligible for means-tested enhanced subsidies of up to 87.5 per cent under the Healthier SG Chronic Tier, which offers enhanced subsidies for selected chronic medications at general practitioner clinics enrolled under the national preventive health initiative.
The drugs include evolocumab, an immunotherapy medication used to treat some who have high cholesterol levels despite being on other cholesterol lowering medications, as well as those with familial hypercholesterolemia.
The other two treatments eligible for enhanced subsidies are Humalog Mix25 and Humalog Mix50 Kwikpens, insulins used for blood sugar control in patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
With the enhanced subsidies evolocumab – which now costs more than $230 per month – would cost between $30 and $60 monthly, depending on the patient’s age and means-test status.
As the country’s primary care system advances, the Government will ensure people here can access affordable care, including medications for chronic conditions, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary.
“We will continually review the expansion of the range of medications which are subsidised under the Healthier SG Chronic Tier,” said Dr Janil.
Reducing salt and sugar consumption
Efforts to reduce sugar and sodium consumption in the Republic are bearing fruit, with the Nutri-Grade labelling scheme – which grades drinks based on their sugar and saturated fat content – resulting in the median sugar levels of pre-packaged drinks falling from 7.1 per cent in 2017 to 4.6 per cent in 2023.
Meanwhile the Siu Dai (less sweet) by default movement, launched in 2023 to encourage eateries to offer less sweet freshly-prepared drinks, is also showing results.
About six in 10 beverage chains are serving such drinks with less sugar by default, MOH said.
The ministry said it will take a collaborative approach with the Health Promotion Board to encourage the use of lower sodium ingredients and make them more widely available.
More than 1,700 eateries have switched to lower-sodium ingredients as of December 2024, compared to 500 in 2022.
MOH added that details of the expansion of the Nutri-Grade labelling and advertising measures to products high in sodium and saturated fat – such as pre-packed salt, sauces and seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil – will be announced later this year.
Responding to Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio GRC) – who had asked whether the Nutri-Grade scheme would be extended to dishes served in eateries – Ms Rahayu said there were no plans to do so for now due to the challenges in tackling sodium and saturated fat content in such an environment.
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