From 3 April 2020, patients may tap on Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) subsidies and MediSave for their regular follow-ups for seven chronic conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) through video consultation. This initiative was introduced to support the safe distancing measures to minimise activities and reduce the risk of local transmission of COVID-19, and will be effective until further notice.
From 9 October 2020, the time-limited extension was expanded to support video consultation for the regular follow-ups of all twenty chronic conditions under the CDMP. This expansion will enable more patients whose conditions are stable to benefit by avoiding a physical visit to their regular clinic while still receiving care. MOH will review the use of CHAS subsidies and MediSave for video consultations in the longer term, taking into account learnings and data from the existing extension.
What does the initiative cover?
Before 3 April 2020, the use of CHAS subsidies and MediSave were not permitted for any telehealth or telemedicine services. For a limited time and on an exceptional basis from 3 April 2020, selected patients will be able to follow up on their chronic conditions through video consultations with approved healthcare institutions (listed in the next section), and tap on their CHAS Chronic subsidies and MediSave (i.e. MediSave500 and Flexi-MediSave) within limits to offset the cost of:
- the video consultation;
- related drugs; and
- related investigations.
This initiative is applicable to all chronic conditions under the CDMP:
- Diabetes (including pre-diabetes)
- Hypertension
- Lipid disorder
- Schizophrenia^
- Major depression^
- Bipolar disorder^
- Anxiety^
- Stroke*
- Asthma (stable and no acute exacerbation)*
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (stable and no acute exacerbation)*
- Dementia*
- Osteoarthritis*
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia*
- Parkinson's disease*
- Chronic kidney disease (nephrosis/nephritis)*
- Epilepsy*
- Osteoporosis*
- Psoriasis*
- Rheumatoid arthritis*
- Ischaemic heart disease*
^CHAS Chronic subsidies and MediSave can only be claimed for these conditions at CDMP+ accredited clinics.
*The use of CHAS Chronic subsidies and MediSave is allowed for video consultations of these conditions from 9 October 2020 onwards.
Who can I go to for video consultations to follow up on my chronic condition?
Patients are allowed to use CHAS Chronic subsidies and/or MediSave for video-consultations for regular follow-up of conditions under the CDMP, if the video-consultation is conducted by a healthcare institution indicated as being CHAS/MediSave accredited on the Voluntary Listing of Direct Telemedicine Service Providers by clicking this link.
Note
Patients should check with their regular healthcare institution to ascertain their suitability for video consultations of the chronic conditions under the CDMP.
For more details on the time-limited extension of the use of CHAS Chronic subsidies and MediSave for video consultation, please click please use this link and please use this link.