Care and Support

The diagnosis of a serious illness such as cancer can trigger intense responses in both patients and caregivers, and these include feelings of fear, anger, confusion, denial, hopelessness, and loneliness.

It is natural to experience these emotions, and know that there is no right or wrong way to feel. It is also common to experience mood and behavioural changes during or after treatment.

The key thing is to find ways to deal with emotional distress – such as confiding in closed ones or seeking professional support. Talk to your doctor or counsellor about how you are feeling, and inform them if you have a history of mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression.

Learn more about some common feelings people experience during their recovery journey, how you can manage negative thoughts, and 10 ways you can cope with cancer.

When it comes to dealing with cancer, you should not have to do it alone. Joining support groups, which usually includes cancer survivors, counsellors, social workers and caregivers, can help to inspire hope and motivate you in your cancer recovery journey.

In Singapore, you can reach out to support groups organised by:

• 365 Cancer Prevention Society
• Breast Cancer Foundation
• Children’s Cancer Foundation
• Singapore Cancer Society

You can also reach out to CanHOPE, a non-profit cancer counselling and support service provided by the Parkway Cancer Centre. The team works closely with medical and allied health professionals to help both patients and caregivers, and offers counselling, nutritional advice, rehabilitation services, care coordination and support group activities.

As part of your cancer care team, you may encounter healthcare professionals who work alongside doctors and nurses to provide additional support to cancer patients and families.

At IHH Healthcare Singapore, we have a broad group of allied health professionals who are ready to help you in every step of your recovery journey. They include:

• Dietitians
• Podiatrists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech therapists
• Occupational therapists

Our dietitians, for instance, can help cancer patients by:

• Managing their loss of appetite, or nausea and vomiting
• Preparing suitable meals, food recipes, portion sizes, and meal patterns
• Providing information on tube feeding and oral nutrition supplements
• Offering dietary advice

When it comes to financing your cancer treatments, it doesn't have to be stressful.

Find out more about your insurance coverage and payment options so you can put your mind at ease and focus on what matters most – your recovery.

MediSave

MediSave is a national medical savings scheme that helps individuals set aside part of their income to pay for their personal or approved dependents’ hospitalisation, day surgery and certain outpatient expenses, as well as their healthcare needs in old age.

Here are the current MediSave claim limits for cancer-related care:

• $1,200 per month for cancer drug treatments, with a MediShield Life claim limit above $5,400, and $600 per month for other treatments on the Cancer Drug List (CDL).
• Additional $600 per year for cancer drug services and/or other cancer scans.
• A range of $80 – $2,800 per proton beam therapy treatment for approved indications.

MediShield Life

MediShield Life is a basic health insurance scheme that provides Singaporeans and permanent residents with universal and lifelong protection against large healthcare bills, regardless of age or health condition.

• The coverage ranges from $200 – $9,600 per month for cancer drug treatments on the Cancer Drug List (CDL). Each cancer drug treatment on the CDL has its own MediShield Life claim limits and MediSave withdrawal limits. If more than one CDL drug is used, the limit will be capped at the drug with the higher limit.
• It includes an additional $3,600 per year for cancer drug services such as consultation fees, tests and supportive drugs that treat for symptoms caused by the treatment.
• It covers proton beam therapy between a range of $300 – $1,800 per treatment for approved indications for use of proton beam therapy.

For the latest information on MediSave and MediShield, please refer to the Ministry of Health's website.

Integrated Shield Plan

Many Singaporeans have private insurance plans for hospitalisation in the form of Integrated Shield Plans, more commonly known as IPs. IPs comprise 2 components:

• MediShield Life
• Additional private insurance coverage run by private insurers, typically to cover additional cover for care at private hospitals

If you have an Integrated Shield Plan, you are already covered by MediShield Life. The company you have taken the plan out with acts as your single point of contact. They will act on the CPF Board’s behalf for premium collection and claims disbursement for the MediShield Life component of your Integrated Shield Plan.

From April 2023, the limits were also extended to claims under IP. IPs will now pay up to 5 times the MediShield Life claim limit for cancer treatment instead of on “as-charged” basis. These changes do not affect IP riders, which are paid for fully in cash.

With IP riders, selected non-CDL cancer drug treatments will be claimable as well.

Learn all about Integrated Shield Plans and how you can use your insurance to cover your treatment bills at our hospitals.

For more helpful information on all things related to health insurance in Singapore, visit HealthInsured.sg.

Making payments at our hospitals

For payments requiring claims from MediSave, MediShield Life and/or Integrated Shield Plans, we will work with you to prepare the following documents:

• Insurance information (e.g. name of insurer and plan type)
• Central Provident Fund (CPF) statements
• A photocopy of your NRIC
• A completed copy of the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF)
• Other necessary authorisations (e.g. usage of MediSave from your next of kin)

For foreign patients

If you are a non-Singaporean or expatriate with eligible insurance for your care at IHH Healthcare Singapore, please contact your insurer to obtain supporting documents for your claims. These may include letter of guarantee or direct payment by your insurer.