Since its introduction, the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) has played a vital role in helping Singaporeans, including members of the Pioneer and Merdeka generations, access essential medical and dental care at participating general practitioner and dental clinics. <\/p>\n
However, with the rising cost of living and escalating healthcare expenses, it may be time for the Ministry of Health\u00a0(MOH)\u00a0to review both the subsidy levels and eligibility criteria under\u00a0Chas. <\/p>\n
Currently, the subsidy for a blue\u00a0Chas\u00a0card holder is $18.50 per visit. Yet, a simple consultation for a common flu at a private clinic can cost between $80 and $100, particularly when non-generic medications are prescribed. <\/p>\n
Dental treatment costs have also risen significantly. A basic scaling and polishing session now ranges from $100 to $200 at neighbourhood clinics. Although the Government has commendably broadened Chas\u00a0coverage to include more Singaporeans, many still feel the financial strain, especially for preventive care. <\/p>\n
Recent adjustments to income eligibility are encouraging, but subsidy amounts should also be reviewed to reflect current cost realities. <\/p>\n
Accessible and affordable healthcare is a shared responsibility and a cornerstone of social well-being. I hope the authorities will consider reviewing Chas\u00a0to ensure that no Singaporean is left behind in our collective pursuit of equitable and sustainable healthcare. <\/p>\n
Lim Guohao<\/p>\n
Today’s LettersHealthcareDoctors\/SurgeonsChas\/Community Health Assist Scheme<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since its introduction, the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) has played a vital role in helping Singaporeans, including…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[163,521,85,46],"class_list":{"0":"post-128466","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-israel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}