More surgical procedures covered under Medisave, MediShield from 2014 - 16Oct2013

SINGAPORE: More surgical procedures will be covered under Medisave and MediShield from January 2014. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it has updated its Table of Surgical Procedures to take into account new medical developments and technological advances. The number of procedures will increase to 2,350, up from 1,600. They will include procedures that are relatively new and have become more common. One example is Maze surgery for abnormal heart rhythm. MOH has also refined the classification of existing surgical procedures to better reflect their complexity. This comes as improvements in technology and surgical techniques have also changed the relative complexity of some procedures. For example, total knee replacement, previously classified as a single procedure, is now divided into three different categories -- whether it is an open surgery, requires an additional implant or the patient had a previous knee replacement. The changes were reviewed in consultation with clinicians from both the private and public sectors. www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-surgical-procedures/849456.html