WAIVERS AND REMISSION OF MEDICAL BILLS

Dr Aline K. Wong asked the Acting Minister for Health what were the numbers and percentages of in-patients and out-patients who received partial and full waivers/remissions of medical bills at the Singapore General Hospital and government hospitals in FY 87, FY 88 and FY 89 (up to the latest convenient date).

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: The information for inpatients who received remissions at SGH and government hospitals is as follows: _______________________________________________________________________ FY 87 FY 88 FY 89 (Apr-Dec 89) ______________________________________________________ Govt SGH Govt SGH Govt SGH Hosps Hosps Hosps _______________________________________________________________________ No. of inpatient bills remitted 616 142 532 157 32 142 *No. of free cases - - - - 6786 269 % of inpatient bills remitted 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.2 6.7 0.7 _______________________________________________________________________ *Free cases are those on public assistance scheme or those issued with medical fee exemption cards. Similar figures for FY 87 and FY 88 are not available.

The figures (exclude those on public assistance scheme or those issued with medical fee exemption cards where they are provided free treatment) for outpatient bills remitted at SGH and government hospitals are as follows: _______________________________________________________________________ FY 87 FY 88 FY 89 (Apr-Sep 89) ______________________________________________________ Govt SGH Govt SGH Govt SGH Hosps Hosps Hosps _______________________________________________________________________ No. of inpatient bills remitted 343 37 378 61 167 64 % of outpatient bills remitted 0.03 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.04 0.02 _______________________________________________________________________