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SINGAPORE – Low back and neck pain patients are now eligible to receive subsidized acupuncture treatment at specialized public sector outpatient clinics.
This pilot program will provide referred patients with resource verification subsidies that can cover up to 70 percent of treatment costs, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) announced on Tuesday (December 29).
About 2,000 patients per year, or 70 percent of all who visit specialized public outpatient clinics for lower back and neck pain, will benefit from this pilot.
Merdeka Generation and Pioneer Generation seniors will enjoy an additional 25% and 50% discount on their remaining healthcare bill, respectively.
All patients, regardless of their subsidy status, will also be able to pay for acupuncture services to relieve back and neck pain using their Flexi-MediSave scheme.
The plan, introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2015, aimed to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of older Singaporeans at polyclinics, Community Health Assistance Program (Chas) general practitioner clinics and specialized public outpatient clinics.
Seniors can begin to benefit from the Flexi-MediSave program once they turn 60 years old.
Those who qualify can withdraw up to $ 200 per year from their own or their spouse’s MediSave account to pay for outpatient treatments.
“The pilot will not cover acupuncture used to treat other indications of pain and other forms of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine that are currently offered in public health institutions,” said the Ministry of Health.
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