13 Nov 2018
On January 21, 2018, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the appointment of a Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee to recommend industry benchmarks for medical procedures and services.
This afternoon, MOH made a public announcement of the medical fee benchmarks which it had sought participation from the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (AMS) and also the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) and the College of Family Physicians Singapore (CFPS), through our representatives on the Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee. The benchmark is also a recommendation from The Healthcare Interpretations Task Force (HITF). The announcement is attached herein for your reference.
The Academy welcomes and fully supports the much awaited publication of fee benchmarks as a guide for patients, caregivers and medical providers to the ranges of professional fees in the private sector for common surgical procedures and services. The aim is to empower patients and caregivers to make informed decisions and guide doctors in charging appropriate fees for their services, which will ultimately keep healthcare costs affordable and sustainable.
Owing to importance of setting a sustainable national benchmark, representatives of the Academy and its specialty-specific Colleges and Chapters actively participated in many of the consultation and feedback sessions held by the Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee. As a result, we expect broad based support amongst the specialists for the fee ranges outlined for the 222 procedures on the Table of Surgical Procedures that are commonly done in the private sector.
The Academy strongly encourages the medical profession to adhere to the recommendations of the Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee as the efficacy of the fee benchmarks depends on the acceptance and concerted effort of the various stakeholders.
The Academy applauds the effort of the Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee for completing the arduous task of setting fee benchmarks and will continue to provide professional inputs and recommendations in the periodic review of the fee benchmarks in the future.
Dr SRE Sayampanathan
Master
Academy of Medicine, Singapore
