Financial Counselling

Our financial counsellors are located at:

1. Emergency Department
   
   Once the doctor at the Emergency Department confirms your admission, our friendly financial counsellors will share with you the relevant ward charges and estimated bill size, in relation to the ward class that you have chosen. Our Financial counsellors would also actively identify and advise patients who may be financially at risk and provide them with information on financial assistance schemes.
2. Wards
   
   If you were unable to undergo financial counselling during admission, financial counsellors at the wards will approach and inform you on your estimated hospital charges. They will also approach you if your bill exceeds the original estimated range provided during your first financial counselling session.
3. Admission Office
   
   If you have any financial or bill related queries during or after your stay, please approach our friendly financial counsellors at Admission Office.
• TTSH Admission Office
  (Near TTSH Ward Entrance, Level 1)
  Tel: 6357 8898, 6357 8899
  Fax: 6251 4095
  Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm | Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday: 8am to 3pm
• National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) Admission Office
  (Near Ward Visitor Registration, Level 1)
  Tel: 6889 4992
  Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8am to 5pm | Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday: Closed
4. Pre admission Counselling and evaluation (PACE)
   
   Our PACE clinic provides financial counselling services for patients who are scheduled for elective procedures after their visit to the specialist outpatient clinics. PACE is located at TTSH Medical Centre, Basement 2.
5. Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs)
   
   Our friendly PSAs at SOCs will be advising you on the available MediSave schemes and subsidies you can tap on to reduce your out of pocket payments for your outpatient visits. In the event you are required to be admitted on the same day after your consultation, financial counselling will also be provided at the clinic.

You will need your identification documents and insurance-related documents for your financial counselling experience.

1. Identification Documents
• National Registration Identity Card (NRIC)
• Birth Certificate (if you are below 15 years old)
• Passport (if you are a foreigner)
• Employment Pass or letter from employer (if you are a Work Permit / S Pass/ Employment Pass Holder)
• Student Pass/ Dependent Pass
2. Insurance and Other Relevant Documents
• Letter of Guarantee from Private Medical Insurers and Company (if available)
• Medical benefit identification documents (if available) – e.g. Civil Service Card

MEDISAVE

MediSave is a national medical savings scheme which helps individuals set aside part of their income into their MediSave accounts to meet their future personal or immediate family's hospitalization, day surgery and certain outpatient expenses. Below are areas which you can use your MediSave for:

• Going for Surgery or Hospitalisation
  

  You can claim up to $450 per hospitalisation day (only if patient stays at least 8 hours in hospital unless admitted for day surgery). Surgery claims are based on a fixed limit from the Table of Surgical Procedures. From $250 to $7750 depending on complexity of surgery.

• Getting a Medical Scan
  

  You can claim up to $300 per year per patient for scans (CT or MRI Scans) needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition.

• Staying Healthy
  

  From June 2018, you can claim up to $500 per year per account under MediSave500 to stay healthy. This includes outpatient preventive care (screening test, vaccinations) and chronic disease treatment.

• Paying for Medical and Long-Term Care Insurance
  

  You can use MediSave to pay for insurance premiums for MediShield Life, Integrated Shield Plans and ElderShield

• For Repeated Treatment
  

  You can use MediSave for conditions that require prolonged, regular treatment and may be costly over time. For example, renal dialysis, cancer treatments and other conditions.

• Regaining Mobility after Hospitalisation
  

  You can use MediSave for rehabilitation and recovery such as for an inpatient stay at a community hospital or outpatient at a day rehabilitation centre.

• For Treatment in Old Age
  

  You can claim up to $200 per year per patient under Flexi-MediSave for outpatient medical treatments (aged 60 and above).

• Starting Your Family
  

  You can use MediSave for treatments to help with conceiving, pregnancy and delivery expenses.

• Receiving End-of-Life Care
  

  You can use MediSave for palliative care at a hospice or at home in the company of your loved ones.

For more details on what MediSave can be used for, click here.

If you would like to utilize your own or your next of kin’s MediSave, MediShield Life or Integrated Shield Plans (IP), you are required to sign the Medical Claims Authorization Form (MCAF). Giving MCAF consent allows you to perform the following at approved institutions:

• Check MediSave balance and available withdrawal limits
• Withdraw from your MediSave to pay for approved treatments
• Claim from your MediShield Life or IP to pay for approved treatments

The Ministry of Health has introduced two MCAF forms in Nov 2015 – MCAF - Multiple (M) and MCAF - Single (S).

Below are the main differences between MCAF - M and MCAF - S:

MEDISHIELD LIFE

MediShield is a low cost catastrophic illness insurance scheme. First introduced in 1990, the government designed MediShield to help members meet medical expenses from major illnesses, which could not be sufficiently covered by their MediSave balance. In November 2015, MediShield was enhanced to MediShield Life to increase the claim limit, thereby lowering out of pocket payment.

MediShield Life is sized for subsidised treatment in public hospitals. Those who choose to stay in private wards (Class A/B1) or hospitals are also covered by MediShield Life. However, as MediShield Life payouts are pegged at Class B2/C wards, the payout will make up a smaller proportion of the bill. If you plan to use Class A/B1 wards in the public hospital or go to a private hospital for your future hospitalisations, you may also wish to consider purchasing private insurance plans in the form of MediSave-approved private Integrated Shield Plans (IPs).

Similar to MediSave, to activate utilisation of MediShield and IPs, you are required to sign a Medical Claims Authorization Form (MCAF). Important points to note for MedShield Life are as follow:

• Mainly designed for B2 or C class hospital bill
• Covers all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, even those with existing illnesses
• Premium payable by MediSave

MEDIFUND

MediFund is an endowment fund set up by the Government to help needy Singaporeans. MediFund is a safety net for patients who face financial difficulties with their remaining bills after receiving Government subsidies and drawing on other means of payments including MediShield Life, private Integrated Shield Plans (IPs), MediSave and cash.

All subsidised patients applying for MediFund will require to go through a financial assessment by our Medical Social Worker. Please approach any Tan Tock Seng Hospital Staff if you would like to apply for MediFund or any financial assistance.

Click here to TTSH Care and Counselling Department

INPATIENT MEANS TESTING

For patients staying in subsidized Ward Class B2 and C, a means-test is used to determine the amount of subsidies each person is eligible for. It is a way to share limited subsidies in a fair manner, by targeting subsidies at lower income group. While all patients can still choose their ward class, the idea is for higher income patients to co-pay more than lower income patients, if they choose to stay in subsidised wards. Inpatient Means Testing is based on your personal income or annual value of place of residence (if no income). Regardless of the ward class selected, you will receive the same quality of medical care.

Please note that Inpatient Means Testing is only applicable for:

• Singaporeans or Permanent Residents (PR) staying in Ward Class B2 or C only
• Valid for one year upon consent
• Means Testing is based on:
• Average Annual Income – for economically active patients
• Properties’ Annual Value (PAV) – for economically inactive patients

NATIONAL ELECTRONIC FINANCIAL RECORDS (NEFR)

National Electronic Financial Records (NEFR) is set up by MOH which contains administrative, income information, MediSave/MediShield Life, government assistance, and healthcare utilisation information to enable effective and easy financial assessment. NEFR internally consolidates the information from MOH’s /Public Healthcare Institution’s systems and externally across other databases from government agencies, such as CPFB and IRAS.

If you agree to data sharing, please be assured that your information will be accessed for official purposes only, on a need-to-know basis by the Government and other organisations approved by the Government.

Hospital staff will have access to your basic information to enable them better to provide you with financial advice and assistance. Information that the hospital staff will have access to include:

• Your Medisave balance;
• MediShield Life coverage
• Eligible subsidies

COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSIST SCHEME (CHAS)

The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) was introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2012. The scheme enables Singapore Citizens from lower to middle income households, as well as all Pioneers and Merdeka Generation seniors, to receive subsidies for medical and dental care at participating General Practitioner (GP) and dental clinics. From November 2019, the scheme will be extended to cover all Singapore Citizens for chronic conditions.

Singaporeans who qualify for CHAS will receive an individual green, orange or blue CHAS card respectively. Orange and blue CHAS card holders will also enjoy subsidised referrals to Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) located at Public Hospitals or National Dental Centre when required.

How do I become a CHAS Cardholder?

While all Singapore Citizens will be eligible for CHAS from November 2019, the enrolment for CHAS is still on an application basis. To apply, click here to download the CHAS Application form. From September 2019 onwards, online application for CHAS will also be made available.

Click here for more CHAS information

PIONEER GENERATION PACKAGE

The Government introduced the Pioneer Generation Package to honour and thank our Pioneers for their hard work and dedication. About 450,000 Singaporeans will benefit from the Pioneer Generation Package.

Who is eligible?

Living Singapore Citizens who meet 2 criteria:

• Aged 16 and above in 1965 – this means:
• Born on or before 31 December 1949
• Aged 65 and above in 2014
• Obtained citizenship on or before 31 December 1986

If you would like to check your eligibility, you can do a self-check here.

Benefits of Pioneer Generation Package

• Special Subsidies for Outpatient Care (CHAS clinics, Polyclinics and SOCs)
• Annual MediSave top-ups, for life
• Pioneer Generation Subsidies for MediShield Life Premiums
• Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme

Click here for more Pioneer Generation information.

MERDEKA GENERATION PACKAGE

Following the Pionner Generation Package, the Merdeka Generation Package was also introduced to honour and thank the Merdeka Generation for their contributions to the nation.

Who is eligible?

1. Singaporeans who:
• Were born from 1 January 1950 to 31 December 1959, and
• Became a Singaporean citizen on or before 31 December 1996
2. Also for Singaporeans who:
• Were born on or before 31 December 1949, and
• Became a Singaporean Citizen on or before 31 December 1996, and
• Did not receive the Pioneer Generation Package

Eligible parties will be notified by April 2019.

Benefits of Merdeka Generation Package

• PAssion Silver Card top-up
• MediSave top-ups
• Additional Outpatient Care subsidies
• Additional MediShield Life Premium subsidies
  · Additional CareShield Life Participation incentive

Click here for more information on Merdeka Generation Package.

For Singaporeans who plan to stay in ward Class B1 or higher, you may wish to consider purchasing MediSave-approved Integrated Shield Plans on top of your MediShield Life.

MediShield Life and other MediSave-approved Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) are designed to cater to your different insurance coverage needs.

IPs are made up of two components – MediShield Life and additional private insurance coverage providing additional benefits and coverage. If you have an IP, you are already covered by MediShield Life. MediShield Life is a component of your IP, there is no duplicate coverage.

The private IP insurers act as a single point of contact for IP policyholders, even though they work with CPF Board back-end on premium collection and claims disbursement for the MediShield Life component.

Click here for more IPs information.

During Financial Counselling, financial counsellors will share with you the estimated bill size of your admission/procedure, based on the following parameters:

• Ward Charges
• Daily treatment fees
• Length of stay
• Standard investigation costs (e.g. Laboratory, X-ray)
• Standard medications costs
• Allied health services costs
• Surgery or Procedure Charges (if applicable)

Your estimated bill size does not include the charges for Intensive Care Unit, High Dependency, Consumables, Charges arising from Complications and Emergency Operation Charges.

The following healthcare financing schemes by the Ministry of Health will help offset the out-of-pocket portion that you will have to pay:

1. Government Subsidies: The amount of Government subsidies you enjoy
2. Insurance: The amount offset by your MediShield Life or Integrated Shield Plan
3. Medisave: The amount that you choose to pay through your Medisave account, or through Medisave contributions from your spouse, child or parent

After deducting the amount associated with the above factors, the balance will be your out-of-pocket payment.

Online Payment

Available e-Payment methods include: 

• AXS e-Station 
• Accepts Visa, Master Card and eNETS
• DBS iBanking 
• eSAM 
• Accepts Visa, Master, American Express, eNETS

Over-the-counter payment

Payment can be made at any of the Singapore Automated Machines (SAM) or Singapore Post Office counters.
When making payment at SAM, please indicate the case number on the Tax Invoice and the amount to be paid. 

Visit SingPost website to find out the location of the Singapore Post Office and SAM kiosks.

Payment can also be made at any AXS station located island wide.When making payment at AXS station, please indicate the case number on the Tax Invoice and the amount to be paid. 

Visit AXS website to find out the location of the AXS kiosks.

You can also pay the bills via cash or NETS at any 7-11 stores island wide.

Visit 7-11 website to find out the location of the 7-11 stores.

Payment via cash, NETS or major credit cards can be made at our cashier counters at Business & Admissions Office at level 1, near the main entrance.

Operation hours:
Monday to Friday : 8am to 6pm
Saturday/Sunday/ Public Holiday : 8am to 3pm

Payment by mail

You can fill up Cheque/Credit Card Payment Slip on our Tax Invoice and mail to Robinson Road Post Office, PO Box 2093, Singapore 901432.

For credit card payment, please fill in your credit card details.

For cheque payment, it should be cross and make payable to "Tan Tock Seng Hospital Pte Ltd". Please write the case or visit number of the Tax invoice, patient's name and NRIC number on the back of the cheque.

ZOOM Payment Scheme

Zoom is a one-time payment authorization scheme to charge outpatient bills to your credit card. With this scheme, you can leave immediately after consultation, treatment, procedure or collection of medications. Bills will be mailed to you within 14 working days.

To apply, please download and complete the ZOOM Application Form (587 kb, PDF) and mail it back to Tan Tock Seng Hospital Business Office using the attached Business Reply Service Envelope.

Alternatively, you may also drop by any of our Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) to apply or to obtain the Zoom Application Form. *Terms & Conditions Apply