MATERNITY BILL OF FEMALE CIVIL SERVANTS

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Health whether the maternity bill of female civil servants who join the Service in 1994 will be paid by the Government and, if not, whether Medishield Plus will cover maternity costs.

BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Civil servants recruited from 1st January 1994 are placed under a new medical benefits package called Medisave-cum-Subsidised Outpatient (MSO) scheme. Under the scheme, they will receive an additional 1% Medisave contribution based on their monthly gross salary in lieu of hospitalisation benefits. However, they will be eligible for subsidised outpatient medical treatment subject to an annual limit of $350. Female civil servants who join the service in 1994 will therefore have to pay the hospital maternity bill themselves.

The objective of MediShield Plus is to protect the insured from the high cost of treating prolonged and catastrophic or major illnesses. It does not cover delivery expenses and there are no plans to change the present scheme. Annex - FEE INCREASES BETWEEN FEBRUARY 1993 AND JANUARY 1994 (Cols. 439 - 440) Appendix 1 - REDUCTION IN INCOME TAX RATES USED TO COMPUTE NON-RESIDENT RELIEFS UNDER SECTION 40 (Cols. 441 - 442) Appendix 2 (Cols. 443 - 445) Appendix 3 (Cols. 447 - 451) Appendix 4 (Cols. 453 - 456)