Financing Cancer Treatments in Singapore

Getting a cancer diagnosis, or knowing someone who has, can be a stressful affair. While Singapore is known for having one of the most successful healthcare systems in the world, the cost of medical treatments is a whole different story. With cancer drugs being one of the main drivers of rising medical treatment costs in Singapore, the financial burden on cancer patients and their family members can be extremely overwhelming.

In this article, we discuss some ways to finance cancer treatments in Singapore and how you can get some help.

Challenges of being diagnosed with cancer

Cancer patients are often faced with the problem that they may have to opt for more affordable options, which can compromise their treatment plan. Not only is it dangerous to leave a tumour untreated, but chances are there will also be additional complications as time passes. Oftentimes, cancer can bring forth unforeseen or unplanned expenses.

A lot of cancer patients in Singapore are required to undergo multiple tests and medical procedures to assess the condition. These tests include CT and MRI scans, ultrasounds or biopsies. All these processes can already add up to a substantial amount, sometimes even before the type of cancer has been determined.

Treatment plans can also vary between individuals. Breast cancer treatments may involve invasive surgeries such as lumpectomies or mastectomies, while lung cancer treatments typically revolve around radiation therapies or chemotherapies. Each of these procedures have their own price tags, and are usually combined for better results. Whatever the mode of treatment, it is undeniable that the medical bill will be quite hefty, especially in Singapore.

Apart from treatment fees, there are also other medical and non-medical costs to be aware of. Some of the medical costs are:

  • Doctor appointments
  • Medications
  • Caregivers
  • Long-term and at-home care

Some of the non-medical costs are:

  • Time off from work or possible unemployment
  • Transportation and travel
  • Family and living expenses
  • Lifestyle changes

Financial support options

To ease the financial burden of cancer patients and their family members, the government has introduced several public welfare schemes and subsidies. Singaporeans can cover up to 80% of the total bill in public hospitals and can also tap into their Medisave funds for payment. There are also programmes such as Medifund, which is an endowment fund to help patients in Singapore who are unable to pay their medical bills.

There are also healthcare insurances that provide patients with cancer coverage and medical treatments. Citizens of Singapore are also automatically covered under MediShield Life, which covers expenses incurred from hospitalisations and approved medical treatments in Singapore, such as chemotherapy and radiography.

The Singapore Cancer Society also offers various financial support options, such as:

Cancer Care Fund

The Cancer Care Fund is a one-time financial assistance scheme to relieve the financial burden of cancer patients who have recently been diagnosed, and who are from low or middle income families in Singapore.

Welfare Aid Fund

The Welfare Aid Fund provides temporary financial assistance and/or medical supplies to boost the wellbeing of cancer patients. and the funding amount varies according to the individual’s healthcare and financial needs.

Cancer Treatment Fund

The Cancer Treatment Fund provides financial subsidies to needy cancer patients who are referred to the Singapore Cancer Society by healthcare professionals or social workers.

Hospital Transportation Scheme

The Hospital Transportation Scheme helps financially needy cancer patients to travel from their homes to the restructured hospitals for their treatments.

Help the Children and Youth Programme

The Programme reaches out to children and youths who have experienced the impact of cancer – either as a patient or family member. It sponsors activities that help them to cope, such as tuition, youth camps and book prizes.

Save your worry about money

As a professional medical caregiver in Singapore, Jaga-Me understands the immense worry and financial burden a sudden cancer diagnosis can bring. For cancer patients, it’s important to attend all medical appointments and go for all treatments as advised by the doctor, but home is always the best. With a wide range of care and professional medical services in Singapore, our clients can save time and money on transportation fees and more while being treated in the comfort of their own homes.

Our trained nurses and doctors in Singapore are well-trained in providing quality care and conducting procedures, such as IV infusion chemotherapy and wound management. Let us help you through your cancer recovery journey today.

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