Non-medical Costs Borne by Families Receiving Home-based Palliative Care

Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what assessment has the Ministry made of the non-medical costs borne by families receiving home-based palliative care, including transport, caregiving expenses, adult diapers and income loss from caregiving responsibilities; and (b) whether additional subsidies or financial support is being considered to address these residual out-of-pocket expenses beyond subsidised clinical care.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: As the Minister said in his recent speech at the 9th Singapore Palliative Care Conference on 18 April 2026, the Ministry of Health has taken steps to make Home Palliative Care even more affordable for end-of-life patients since 2024. We enhanced means-tested subsidies and removed the lifetime MediSave withdrawal limits for patients using their own MediSave. Palliative care patients who need to defray other costs, such as non-medical costs, can tap on the Reduced Life Expectancy scheme to withdraw their Central Provident Fund savings.