MEDIFUND (Provision to full-time housewives)

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health whether Medifund will provide the same level of support to full-time housewives who are covered by Medishield but who do not contribute to Medisave, as to those who contribute regularly to Medisave.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, Medifund is meant to support Singaporeans who are unable to meet their medical expenses, even though they have made their best efforts to look after their own needs by contributing to Medisave and participating in Medishield. It is not meant to relieve Singaporeans of the need to save for their medical expenses. If a person has not consistently contributed to Medisave while working, or has consciously opted out of Medishield, then when he runs into difficulties with his medical expenses, he will receive less support from Medifund.

Full-time housewives do not contribute to Medisave as they have no employment income. The help they will receive from Medifund will depend on whether their husbands have participated in Medisave and Medishield. Medifund will naturally consider the case of a housewife more sympathetically if she is covered by Medishield. But Medifund cannot treat identically two housewives, both with Medishield, if one husband has contributed to Medisave while the other husband has not. The exact amount of help will depend on the circumstances of each case, and will be determined by the Medifund Committee of the hospital according to these guidelines.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, does the Minister agree that housewives who are looking after their children and families, and hence enabling their husbands to work with a peace of mind, are also contributing to society and the economy? If Medifund does not provide the same level of support, does the Minister not think that it is unfair and discriminating? And why is it necessary that it be tied to the husband's Medisave contribution?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the Medisave scheme is meant to be a family-oriented scheme whereby the breadwinner contributes to Medisave and thereby uses Medisave to help pay for the family's overall hospital expenses. So if one housewife's husband is contributing to Medisave as well as being covered by Medishield, then that family could be eligible for greater support than another family where the husband has not contributed to Medisave or has opted out of Medishield.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, do I take it that the housewife concerned will be treated equally and not in terms of whether or not the husband has contributed to Medisave?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, as I said before, they will be treated as a family unit, not as individuals, because we consider the family income as the income supporting the family and, therefore, the husband is the key person supporting the family.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, does the Minister mean that whether or not the housewife concerned contributes regularly to Medisave it will not be a main factor of consideration?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, full-time housewives have no regular income and therefore they do not need to contribute to Medisave. In fact, none of them is contributing regularly to Medisave.