Ong Ye Kung: Precision Medicine Now Covered by MediShield Life

Ong Ye Kung: Precision Medicine Now Covered by MediShield Life
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  1. MediShield Life to cover precision medicine therapies.
  2. New law planned to govern genetic test use.
  3. Moratorium on genetic testing for insurance underwriting.

Singapore takes big steps in healthcare with new rules for personalised treatments and genetic data.

Key Terms Simplified

  • Precision medicine is when doctors use your genes to give you the best treatment.
  • Genetic testing is when doctors look at your DNA to learn about your health.
  • Moratorium is a temporary pause or stop in an activity or rule.

Big Changes in Singapore’s Healthcare

According to The Straits Times, Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung shared some big news on 10 Oct 2024.

He said MediShield Life will now cover special treatments called precision medicine.

This happened at the opening of the 22nd Singapore Health Biomedical Congress.

This means more people can get these special treatments.

It’s a big step for medical insurance in Singapore.

What is Precision Medicine?

Precision medicine uses your genes to give you the best treatment.

It’s a new way of treating people that looks at each person’s unique makeup.

This can help doctors choose the best medicine for each patient.

Here’s a simple breakdown of it:

  • Uses your genetic information
  • Tailors treatment to your body
  • Can be more effective than one-size-fits-all treatments
  • Helps doctors choose the right medicine faster

New Rules for Genetic Tests

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is also working on new rules for genetic tests.

These rules will say how genetic test data can be used.

Minister Ong said, “We will conduct broad consultations and hope to submit the Bill to Parliament in the next one to two years.”

This is to make sure people’s genetic information is used safely and fairly.

Insurance and Genetic Tests

There’s also a new rule about genetic tests and insurance.

Insurance companies can’t use genetic test results when deciding about insurance.

This is to prevent discrimination based on genetic information.

The Life Insurance Association is working with the government on this.

Making Treatments More Affordable

The government wants to make these new treatments cheaper for Singaporeans.

He also explained, “Where they are proven to be clinically effective and cost-effective, we will subsidise these therapies.”

This is part of Singapore’s plan to keep healthcare costs down.

It’s similar to how Singapore is working on Smart Nation 2.0 to improve life for everyone.

What This Means for Singaporeans

ChangeBenefit
MediShield-Life covers precision medicineMore people can get advanced treatments
New rules for genetic testsBetter protection of personal genetic data
No use of genetic tests for insuranceFairer insurance practices

Next Steps

The MediShield Life Council will share more details soon.

MOH plans to accept these recommendations.

This will help add new treatments to MediShieldLife and MediSave.

The government is also looking at how to make these treatments in Singapore.

This could make them cheaper and faster to get.

What to Expect

In the coming years, Singaporeans might see:

  • More personalised medical treatments
  • Better protection for genetic information
  • Changes in how healthcare is provided
  • New jobs in precision medicine

These changes show Singapore is planning for the future of healthcare.

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Disclaimer: This article is accurate to the best of our knowledge and due diligence, but we recommend independent verification where needed.以下文章内容由人工智能自动翻译成中文,可能存在翻译错误或不准确之处。我们对此表示抱歉,若发现任何错误,欢迎读者进行反馈。若有疑问,请以英文版文章的数据为准。

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