The Straits Times
Budget debate: S pore to revamp healthcare subsidy system for more targeted support
Subsidies are now 50 per cent to 65 per cent in B2 class, and 65 per cent to 80 per cent in C class. The change will mean higher subsidies for lower-income patients who opt for B2 class, and lower subsidies for higher-income patients in C class. PHOTO: ST FILE
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An estimated 56,300 public healthcare workers in Singapore - including nurses and support care staff - will get pay bumps over the next two years, starting in July.
SINGAPORE - Annual withdrawal limits for the Flexi-MediSave scheme, which aims to help seniors pay less for healthcare out of pocket, will be raised from $200 to $300 starting June 1, 2021.
This will support elderly patients seeking outpatient treatment, said Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon at the debate on his ministry s budget.
Introduced in 2015, the scheme allows patients aged 60 and above to tap their own or their spouse s Medisave funds to pay for outpatient expenses at polyclinics, specialist outpatient clinics and GP clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS).
In recent years, some members of the public have called for an increase in the withdrawal limits, saying the current amount is insufficient for seniors with chronic conditions that require multiple treatments.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced during the Committee of Supply (COS) debates in Parliament on Friday (Mar. 5) that the ministry will be taking steps to invest in building a future-ready healthcare workforce.
One of these steps is to increase the salaries of staff working in the public healthcare sector and in publicly-funded community care organisations.
Base salary increase by 3% to 14% for public healthcare sector
The monthly base salaries of nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), pharmacists, and administrative and ancillary staff will be raised starting from July 2021, Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon announced on Friday.
MOH highlighted in a media briefing that the salary adjustments are not to recognise the healthcare workers efforts in fighting Covid-19, as those have been recognised many times.
Salary increase of up to 14% for nurses in public healthcare sector Toggle share menu
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Salary increase of up to 14% for nurses in public healthcare sector Other workers in the sector like allied health professionals and pharmacists will receive an increase of 3% to 7% in their monthly base salaries.
Healthcare workers dressed in personal protective equipment prepare to collect nasal swab samples from migrant workers for testing at a foreign workers dormitory in Singapore on Apr 27, 2020. (File photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
05 Mar 2021 05:51PM) Share this content
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SINGAPORE: Nurses in the public healthcare sector will receive an increase of 5 to 14 per cent in their monthly base salaries from July.